LOS  ANGELES 


THE    MARRIAGE    VENTURES 
OF   MARIE-LOUISE 


THE 

MARRIAGE  VENTURES 
OF  MARIE-LOUISE 


BY 

MAX    BILLARD 

ENGLISH    VERSION    BY 

EVELYN   DUCHESS   OF    WELLINGTON 


NEW  YORK 

JAMES  POTT  &  CO. 

LONDON:   EVELEIGH   NASH 

1910 


RICHARD  CLAY  &  SONS,  LIMITED, 
BREAD  STREET  HILL,  E.C.,  AND 

BUNGAY,    SUFFOLK. 


CONTENTS 

CHAP.  PAGE 

I.       THE   EMPRESS    MARIE-LOUISE          .            •            •  7 

II.       THE    COMTE    DE    NEIPPERG    .            .            .            .  If 

III.  MARIE-LOUISE    AT   AIX            .            .           >            .  34 

IV.  THE    CONGRESS    OF   VIENNA              •            •            •  53 
V.       MARIE-LOUISE    AND    NEIPPERG   IN    1815            .  78 

VI.       MARIE-LOUISE,    DUCHESS    OF    PARMA      .            .  98 

VII.       THE    DEATH    OF   THE   EMPEROR      .            .            ,.  I2Q 

viii.     THE  EMPEROR'S  WILL         .         .         .         .  145 

IX.       THE    OPENING   OF   THE   TREBBIA    BRIDGE         .  154 

X.       THE    ILLNESS    AND    DEATH    OF   NEIPPERG          .  162 

XI.       MARIE-LOUISE    AT   GENEVA  .  .  .  .177 

XII.       THE    REVOLUTION    OF    183!  .  .  .185 

XIII.  DEATH    OF    THE   DUC   DE    REICHSTADT                .  198 

XIV.  THE   COMTE   CHARLES    DE   BOMBELLES    .             .211 
XV.       THE   THIRD    HUSBAND  .....  232 

XVI.       THE   ADVENTURES    OF   A   TENOR     .            .            .  242 

XVII.       THE   DEATH    OF    MARIE-LOUISE        .            .            .  253 

XVIII.      THE   LAST  YEARS  AND   DEATH   OF  THE  COMTE 

DE   BOMBELLES 274 

XIX.       THE    COMTE    GUILLAUME  AND    THE    COMTESSE 

ALBERTINE   DE   MONTENUOVO              .             .  293 

CONCLUSION            ......  309 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 


MARIE-LOUISE 

LE  COMTE  DE  NEIPPERG 

MADAME  DE  STAEL 

L'ABB£  WERNER   . 

METTERNICH 

NAPOLEON  .... 

MARIE-LOUISE 

THE  KING  OF  ROME 

JULES  LECOMTE    . 

COMTE  CARLO  DI  BOMBELLES 


Frontispiece 
To  face  p.    20 
„  26 

66 

M  HO 

»       13° 
156 

,,       204 

»       244 
288 


THE    MARRIAGE    VENTURES 
OF    MARIE-LOUISE 


THE    EMPRESS    MARIE-LOUISE 

MARIE-LOUISE,  the  daughter  of  the  Emperor 
of  Austria,  was  a  little  bourgeoise  of  ordinary 
intelligence  and  simple  tastes  when,  with  tears 
in  her  eyes,  she  left  Vienna  on  March  13,  1810, 
to  meet  her  future  husband,  the  Emperor  of 
the  French. 

In  her  early  childhood  one  of  her  greatest 
pleasures  was  "to  roam  about  the  fields  of 
Achau  gathering  veronica,  with  which  she  used 
to  make  a  kind  of  tea."  She  loved  the  big 
woods,  the  fields,  the  flowers — and  above  all 
she  delighted  in  fishing  for  "cray-fish."  The 
latter  was  a  great  amusement  to  her  and,  in  a 
letter  to  Mile,  de  Poutet,1  she  gives  a  child- 
1  Mile,  de  Poutet  was  the  daughter  of  the  Comtesse 

7 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

like  and  quite  incomprehensible  description  of 
the  way  in  which  she  caught  them.  She  was 
fond  of  animal  life  and  was  devoted  to  doves, 
hares  and  lambs,  of  which  she  made  pets,  and 
she  had  also  a  special  fancy  for  frogs.  In  one 
of  her  letters  she  gives  a  description  of  how 
she  had  "very  nearly  caught  a  frog  green  as 
a  pistachio  nut,"  and  how  at  the  critical  mo- 
ment it  had  escaped.  One  day  she  received  a 
present  of  four  frogs.  "  I  have  given  two,"  she 
writes,  "  to  my  sister  Leopoldine  [subsequently 
the  wife  of  Dom  Pedro  I]  and  I  have  kept  the 
others  for  myself,  they  are  lovely." 

The  young  Archduchess  had  also  a  talent 
for  every  kind  of  fancy  work,  and  was 
especially  successful  in  the  making  of  corsets. 
She  was  no  less  proficient  in  lace-making  and 
in  knitting  purses  and  embroidering  bell-pulls. 

Notwithstanding  all  these  country  pursuits 
and  home  occupations,  Marie-Louise  received 
a  very  careful  education.  She  mastered 

Colloredo  by  her  first  husband,  the  Baron  de  Poutet,  and 
subsequently  became  Comtesse  de  Crenneville.  Correspond- 
ance  de  Marie-Louise  (1799-1847).  Charles  G^rold,  Vienne, 
1887. 

8 


of  Marie-Louise 

French,  German,  English,  Italian  and  Spanish 
thoroughly,  and  even  a  few  words  of  Turkish 
and  Latin.  We  learn  that  on  her  way  to  France 
for  her  marriage  she  was  addressed  in  Latin 
by  a  young  orator  of  Bar-le-Duc,  and  that  the 
future  Empress,  in  no  way  taken  aback,  sur- 
prised this  student  of  Roman  classics  by  reply- 
ing in  the  language  of  Titus  Livius  and 
Tacitus. 

In  her  early  youth  she  made  great  progress 
in  music  and  drawing — she  was  indeed  a  good 
musician,  drew  with  taste,  and  even  dabbled 
in  oils.1 

Marie-Louise,  the  great-niece  of  Marie- 
Antoinette,  had  certainly  not  been  encouraged 
to  love  France.  She  had  been  taught,  writes 
Meneval  (as  she  herself  had  told  him),  "if  not 
to  hate,  at  all  events  to  look  with  little  favour 

1  "On  her  arrival  in  France  she  took  lessons  from 
Prud'hon,  one  of  our  best  artists.  She  was  obliged  to  give 
up  oils,  as  she  could  not  bear  the  smell  of  the  paints." 
Meneval  :  Napoleon  et  Marie-Louise.  Souvenirs  Historiques, 
Amyot,  Paris,  1844,  Second  Edition,  Vol.  I.  p.  329. 

"One  day  Prud'hon  was  asked  whether  he  was  pleased 
with  his  Royal  pupil.  '  She  is  very  nice,'  replied  the  master. 

9 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

on  the  Emperor  Napoleon.  For  had  he  not 
more  than  once  brought  the  House  of  Habs- 
bourg  to  within  an  ace  of  ruin,  and  had  he  not 
also  compelled  her  family  to  quit  Vienna  and 
wander  from  town  to  town  midst  all  the  con- 
fusion and  alarm  which  invariably  follow  a 
hasty  retreat?  The  game  which  her  brother 
and  sisters  generally  played  consisted  in  set- 
ting up  a  line  of  toy  soldiers  to  represent  the 
French  army,  placing  at  its  head  the  dirtiest 
and  most  repulsive  figure  they  could  find,  which 
they  would  then  proceed  to  attack  with  pins 
and  to  insult  in  every  conceivable  way.  It  was 
thus  that  these  children  thought  to  avenge  all 
the  misery  inflicted  on  their  family  by  that 
dreaded  Captain,  against  whom  the  entire 
strength  of  the  Austrian  armies  and  the 
thunderings  of  the  Vienna  Cabinet  were  power- 
less to  contend." 

'  And  what  progress  does  she  make  ? '  '  Not  so  much  as  I 
should  like.  Her  Majesty  complains  that  drawing  dirties  her 
fingers,  so  she  leaves  her  pencils  alone.'  '  What  then  does 
she  do  during  your  lessons  ? '  '  She  goes  to  sleep,'  sighed 
Prud'hon."  Ch.  Gueulette:  Mile.  Mayer  et  Prutfhon. 
Gazette  des  Beaux  Arts,  i  Oct.,  1879. 

10 


of  Marie-Louise 

It  must  be  remembered  that  when  Marie- 
Louise  was  first  told  of  her  suggested  marriage 
with  Napoleon,  she  "  looked  upon  herself  as 
a  sacrifice  to  the  Minotaur." 

In  a  letter  to  her  "chere  Victoire  "  [Mile,  de 
Poutet],  she  thus  expressed  resignation  to  her 
fate: 

"  Since  Napoleon's  divorce,  I  open  each 
Gazette  de  Francfort  with  the  hope  of  finding 
the  name  of  his  new  wife,  and  I  own  that  this 
delay  causes  me  great  anxiety.  I  commit  my- 
self to  the  hands  of  Divine  Providence,  who 
alone  knows  what  is  best  for  us.  But  if  the 
worst  comes  to  the  worst,  I  am  ready  to  set 
aside  my  personal  feelings  for  the  good  of  the 
State,  convinced  as  I  am  that  true  happiness 
can  only  be  found  in  devotion  to  duty,  even 
when  opposed  to  one's  dearest  wishes. 

"  I  cannot  bear  to  think  of  it,  but  if  it  must 
be,  my  mind  is  made  up,  although  it  will  be  a 
very  painful  as  well  as  a  twofold  sacrifice. 
Pray  for  me  that  it  may  not  come  to  pass." 

On  January  23,    1810,   she  wrote  again  to 

Mile,  de  Poutet  in  the  same  unselfish  spirit : 

II 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

"  I  know  it  is  rumoured  in  Vienna  that  I  am 
to  marry  the  great  Napoleon;  I  trust  that  it 
may  remain  a  rumour,  and  am  truly  grateful, 
my  dear  Victoire,  for  your  kind  wishes  on  the 
subject.  I  pray  without  ceasing  that  it  will  not 
come  to  pass,  and  if  it  is  to  be,  I  know  that  I 
shall  be  the  only  person  not  to  rejoice  at  the 
event." 

In  April  1810  the  sacrifice  was  made — 
or  it  was  no  longer  regarded  as  such.  The 
triumphant  soldier  married  the  daughter  of  the 
Caesars,  and  was  thus  enabled  to  gratify  his 
pride  by  presenting  Marie-Louise  to  France  as 
the  prize  of  his  many  victories. 

Ceremonies  and  fetes  of  every  description 
followed,  during  which  expressions  of  joy  and 
gratitude  for  the  restoration  of  peace  were 
heard  on  all  sides. 

Marie-Louise  appears  to  have  entered 
seriously  into  her  new  duties  of  Empress  and 
wife.  She  was  proud  of  her  husband,  and 
wrote  to  Mme.  de  Crenneville  that  "her 
happiest  hours  were  those  spent  with  the 
Emperor."  In  another  letter  she  expresses 

12 


of  Marie-Louise 

her  joy  at  being  a  mother,  and  prays  heaven 
that  the  King  of  Rome  "may  some  day  be 
what  his  father  is — the  delight  of  all  who  know 
him." 

In  the  month  of  June  1812  Marie-Louise, 
unaccompanied  by  the  Emperor,  spent  a  few 
days  with  her  family  at  Prague.  Notwith- 
standing the  excitement  attending  the  fetes  and 
entertainments  held  in  her  honour,  she  never 
forgot  her  husband,  as  will  be  seen  by  the 
following :  "  The  Emperor  writes  to  me  very 
often;  every  day  that  I  receive  a  letter  from 
him  is  one  of  happiness.  .  .  .  nothing  reconciles 
me  to  his  absence,  not  even  the  fact  of  my  being 
with  my  family." 

She  writes  in  the  same  strain  to  Mme.  de 
Crenneville  :  "  You  can  imagine  my  happiness 
at  being  with  my  family,  for  you  know  how  I 
love  them  all;  nevertheless,  my  pleasure  is 
clouded  by  sorrow  at  being  separated  from  the 
Emperor :  I  cannot  be  really  happy  unless  I 
am  with  him." 

On  August  15  (the  Emperor's  fete  day)  the 
Empress  wrote  an  even  more  touching  letter : 

13 


The  Marriage   Ventures 

"  You  are  quite  right  in  thinking  that  I  have 
been  less  happy  this  I5th  of  August  than  in 
former  years.  You  know  me  well  enough  to 
be  aware  that  when  I  am  unhappy  I  surfer 
terribly,  although  I  do  not  show  it.  You  may 
imagine  my  distress  at  the  absence  of  the  Em- 
peror, which  only  his  return  will  remove.  I 
am  in  a  continual  state  of  anxiety  and  worry. 
One  day  without  a  letter  from  him  makes  me 
miserable,  and  even  when  I  receive  one  it  is 
only  a  temporary  relief.  " 

This  letter,  with  its  somewhat  exaggerated 
sentiments  of  affection,  brings  us  to  the  end  of 
the  halcyon  days  of  Marie-Louise. 

It  was  at  this  time  that  the  Emperor  crossed 
the  Niemen.  Disaster  ensued,  followed  by 
reaction  in  his  favour,  and  disaster  once  more. 
He  was  forced  to  quit  France — France  now  as 
humbled  by  adversity  as  she  had  formerly  been 
satiated  by  glory — and  in  his  little  island  king- 
dom devoted  himself  to  the  elaboration  of  his 
last  scheme  for  the  discomfiture  of  the  powers 
arrayed  against  him. 

Not  even  in  the  presence  of  the  wreck  of 
14 


of  Marie-Louise 

the  Empire  and  the  dire  calamities  which  over- 
took the  country,  nor  at  the  moment  when  the 
allies,  having  vanquished  their  formidable 
enemy,  were  making  their  entrance  into  the 
Louvre,  did  Marie-Louise  show  any  signs  of 
sincere  grief.  Nor  was  she  more  affected 
when,  by  decree  of  the  Senate,  Napoleon  was 
deprived  of  his  throne  and  the  family  succes- 
sion was  abolished.  « 

In  spite  of  the  evident  and  deep  anxiety  of 
all  around  her  at  Blois,  the  Empress,  from 
whose  letters  we  have  just  quoted  such  touch- 
ing passages,  not  only  betrayed  a  weakness  of 
character  calculated  to  assist  the  schemes  of 
the  allies,  but  at  times  an  indifference  and 
light-heartedness  which,  in  the  circumstances, 
were  positively  unseemly.  Even  at  a  moment 
such  as  this,  she  could  smile  and  jest  with  those 
around  her.  We  will  only  recall  one  such 
incident,  and  in  order  to  avoid  any  suspicion  of 
malice  or  exaggeration  we  will  quote  the  words 
of  the  Comte  d'Haussonville,  who  is  respon- 
sible for  the  story :  "  I  was  present  when  the 
Comte  de  Sainte-Aulaire  related  an  anecdote 

15 


Marie-Louise 

which  showed  that  the  feelings  of  the  Empress 
at  that  time  were  in  no  way  suited  to  the  cir- 
cumstances. The  arrival  of  M.  de  Sainte- 
Aulaire  was  announced  to  Her  Majesty  very 
early  in  the  morning,  while  she  was  still  in 
bed.  She  was  but  half  awake  when  she  re- 
ceived him,  sitting  at  the  side  of  the,  bed  with  her 
bare  feet  showing  from  beneath  the  coverlet. 

"  Completely  overcome  by  the  gravity  of  the 
situation,  for  the  letter  of  which  he  was  the 
bearer  not  only  brought  the  news  of  the  fall  of 
the  Empire,  but  also  that  of  Napoleon's 
attempted  suicide  at  Fontainebleau,  M.  de 
Sainte-Aulaire  stood  with  his  eyes  cast  down, 
anxious  to  appear  unconscious  of  the  effect 
produced  on  the  Empress  by  this  sad  intel- 
ligence :  '  Ah !  you  are  looking  at  my  feet/ 
she  exclaimed,  '  I  am  always  being  told  how 
pretty  they  are.5 ' 

This  incident  in  the  life  of  Marie-Louise 
would  alone  be  sufficient  to  disclose  her  true 
character,  but,  as  we  shall  see  presently,  it  was 
when  she  left  France  that  her  extraordinary 
nature  was  fully  revealed. 

16 


II 

THE    COMTE    DE    NEIPPERG 

ON  April  25,  1814,  when  duty  should 
have  taken  her  to  the  Island  of  Elba,  Marie- 
Louise  left  Grosbois  for  Vienna,  accompanied 
by  Mme.  de  Brignole,  Baron  de  Bausset,  Dr. 
Corvisart,  the  faithful  Meneval  and  Caffarelli. 

Her  military  escort  consisted  of  an  Austrian 
general  and  his  staff,  and  on  April  30,  as 
she  crossed  the  frontier,  she  bade  her  last 
farewell  to  France. 

Historians  relate  the  events  which'  followed 
— the  royal  progress  of  the  forgetful  wife,  how 
the  loyal  people  of  the  Tyrol  greeted  the 
daughter  of  their  Emperor  as  she  traversed  their 
country,  the  triumphant  arrival  at  Schcenbriinn, 
and  the  tortuous  diplomacy  of  the  Vienna  Con- 
gress. History  also  tells  us  how  the  sovereigns 
assembled  at  Vienna  celebrated  the  downfall 

of  the  man  who  had  ruled  Europe,  under  the 
B  17 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

very  eyes  of  the  woman  who  had  but  a  very  few 
days  before  been  Empress  of  the  French. 

Dr.  Corvisart,  in  whom  Marie-Louise  had 
the  greatest  confidence,  "was  of  opinion  that 
the  baths  of  Aix  in  Savoy  were  absolutely 
necessary  for  her  health,  and  would  not  consent 
to  her  going  elsewhere." 

The  Emperor  of  Austria  at  first  raised  the 
objection  "  that  there  must  be  waters  in  Germany 
which  would  suit  his  daughter,"  and  he  thought 
that  it  would  in  any  case  be  more  seemly,  fail- 
ing Carlsbad  or  Baden,  were  she  to  take  the 
waters  at  Pisa,  or  some  other  place  in  Tuscany. 

Whether  her  desire  to  be  nearer  to  the  Island 
of  Elba  was  prompted  by  some  lingering  affec- 
tion, or  by  a  wish  to  escape  from  the  jealous 
supervision  of  her  step-mother,  Marie-Louise 
obstinately  insisted  on  going  to  Aix,  and  the 
Emperor  at  last  yielded  to  her  wishes. 

On  June  28  the  Empress  took  leave  of 
her  father  at  Baden,  and  on  the  following 
day,  under  the  assumed  name  of  the  Duchesse 
de  Colorno  (a  title  borrowed  from  one  of  her 

palaces  in  the  duchy  of  Parma),  left  Schcen- 

18 


of  Marie-Louise 

briinn,  accompanied  by  an  exclusively  French 
retinue. 

She  passed  the  night  of  June  30  at  the 
Abbey  of  Lambach,  a  small  village  where  the 
French  had  repulsed  the  Russians  in  1805  — 
every  step  of  the  journey  must  indeed  have 
reminded  her  of  France  and  her  recent  glories. 

On  the  third  day  she  arrived  at  Munich, 
where  Prince  Eugene  entertained  her  in  his 
palace.  Having  spent  a  day  at  Constance,  she 
passed  through  Baden,  and  on  her  arrival  at 
Payerne  she  was  received  at  the  Chateau  de 
Prangins  by  her  brother-in-law,  King  Joseph, 
who  gave  her  a  most  hearty  welcome. 

On  the  evening  of  July  10  she  arrived  at 
the  Secherons  Inn,  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of 
Geneva. 

Her  suite  consisted  of  the  Comtesse  de  Brig- 
nole,  Mile.  Rabusson  her  reader,  and  the 
latter's  fiance,  Dr.  Hereau,  and,  of  course,  the 
faithful  Meneval,  to  whom  we  owe  the  very 
circumstantial  details  of  this  journey,  which 
lasted  six  days. 

They  visited  the  celebrated  valley  of  Cha- 


B  2 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

mouny,  the  plateau  of  Montanvers,  the  mighty 
glaciers  of  Bossons  and  the  "mer  de  glace," 
the  beautiful  cascade  of  Pissevache  and  the 
slopes  of  Balme. 

"  It  was  impossible  to  tire  the  Duchesse  de 
Colorno,  and  her  courage  amounted  almost  to 
foolhardiness.  It  was  evident  that  she  was 
seeking  excitement  in  order  to  divert  her  mind 
from  other  subjects.  She  displayed  an  even- 
ness of  temper  and  an  amount  of  endurance 
which  astonished  even  her  guides." 

Meneval  tells  us  that  during  these  excursions 
the  Empress  "either  rode  a  mule  or  walked," 
and  he  adds  that  her  health  was  much  improved 
by  the  exercise. 

Marie-Louise  returned  to  the  Secherons  Inn 
on  July  1 6,  and  left  the  next  day  for  Aix,  where 
she  was  to  take  the  waters. 

As  she  was  entering  the  town  an  officer  in 
the  uniform  of  an  Austrian  general,  and  accom- 
panied by  an  aide-de-camp,  approached  the 
door  of  the  Empress's  carriage  with  a  low  bow. 
He  was  apparently  between  thirty-eight  and 
forty  years  of  age,  of  medium  height,  with  a 

20 


LE  COMTE  DE   NKII-HEKG. 


of  Marie-Louise 

good  figure,  fair,  thin,  curly  hair  and  a  ruddy 
complexion  which  lacked,  however,  the  fresh- 
ness of  youth.  He  had  lost  the  sight  of  his 
right  eye  in  action,  and  a  black  bandage  con- 
cealed the  scar  left  by  the  wound,  but  the  other 
eye  was  bright  and  searching.  He  announced 
himself  as  Adam-Albert  de  Neipperg. 

Born  on  April  8,  1775,  Neipperg,  notwith- 
standing the  name  he  bore,  was  neither  Austrian 
nor  German,  his  real  father  being  a  French- 
man, as  will  be  seen  presently.  His  putative 
father,  Leopold  Joseph  de  Neipperg,  was  born 
in  1728,  and  died  in  1792,  having  risen  to  the 
rank  of  ambassador  in  the  diplomatic  service, 
and  it  is  to  his  genius  we  owe  the  first  "  writing- 
machine." 

In  1762  he  invented  a  letter-copier,  of  which 
he  published  the  following  description  : — 

SPECIFICATION  AND   DESCRIPTION 
OF  A  NEW  MACHINE 


CALLED 


THE   SECRET   COPYIST 

21 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

INVENTED   IN   THE  YEAR   1762   AT   NAPLES 
BY 

THE  COMTE   DE    NEIPPERG 

CHAMBERLAIN   AND    IMPERIAL   PRIVY   COUNCILLOR   OF  THE 

HOLY  EMPIRE,  DURING  HIS  SOJOURN  AT  THE   COURT   OF  HIS 

SICILIAN     MAJESTY,     AS     MINISTER     PLENIPOTENTIARY     OF 

THEIR   IMPERIAL,    ROYAL   AND   APOSTOLIC   MAJESTIES 

By  means  of  which  machine,  three  or  more  copies  of  a 
written  document  can  be  made  without  the  assistance  of 
secretary  or  copyist  as  quickly  as  a  single  copy  in  MS. 
could  possibly  be  executed.  Nothing  could  be  more 
simple  and  more  easily  worked  than  this  contrivance. 

VIENNA 

TO  BE  OBTAINED  FROM  JEAN  THOMAS  DE  TURTTNERN, 
PRINTER  AND  BOOKSELLER  TO  THE  COURT,  1764. 

The  first  Neipperg  mentioned  in  history 
was  Field-Marshal  Eberhard-Frederic  (1655- 
1725),  member  of  an  ancient  German-Swabian 
family  whose  ancestors  went  back  to  Birtilo  de 
Schwaigern,  about  1120.  He  was  the  great- 
grandfather of  Adam-Albert.  His  ancestor, 
Wilhelm  Reinhard  (1684-1774),  fought  the 
Turks,  and  was  Governor  of  the  capital  of  the 
Banat  of  Temesvar.  It  was  he  who  signed  the 

unfortunate  treaty  which  restored  the  town  of 

22 


of  Marie-Louise 

Belgrade  to  Turkey.  Condemned  to  imprison- 
ment, and  subsequently  restored  to  favour,  we 
find  him  fighting  in  Silesia,  and  beaten  by 
Frederic  II  at  Molvitz.  He  was,  notwithstand- 
ing, appointed  Commander-in-chief  of  the 
Austrian  armies,  and  was  president  of  the 
superior  council  of  war  when  he  died.  The  resi- 
dence and  the  interests  of  the  family  centred 
in  Schwaigern. 

Leopold  de  Neipperg,  when  on  a  diplomatic 
mission  to  Paris,  made  the  acquaintance  of  a 

French  officer,  the  Comte  de  ,  a  perfect 

type  of  a  man  of  the  world,  whom  he  received 
as  an  intimate  guest  at  his  house. 

The  Countess,  who  had  perhaps  hitherto  been 
a  model  of  fidelity,  was  not  now,  at  any  rate, 
quite  impervious  to  the  seductive,  ways  of  this 
romantic,  passionate  young  man,  who  was  unre- 
mitting in  his  attentions  to  her. 

The  inventive  genius  of  the  Comte  de  Neip- 
perg leads  one  to  suppose  that  he  was  influ- 
enced rather  by  the  love  of  machinery  than  by 
the  machinery  of  love,  and  that  he  spent  all  the 
time  he  could  spare  from  his  diplomatic  duties 

23 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

in  the  quiet  of  his  study,  elaborating  the  details 
of  some  new  invention. 

As  to  his  wife,  he  troubled  his  head  but  little 
about  her,  leaving  her  entirely  to  her  own  de- 
vices. This  conduct  naturally  led  to  results 
not  difficult  to  foresee,  and,  before  many  months 
had  passed,  the  Countess  was  desperately  in 
love  with  the  young  French  officer.  Their 
early  relations  were  as  innocent  as  a  German 
idyll,  but  soon  became  more  intimate,  resulting 
eventually  in  the  birth  of  the  future  General 
Neipperg. 

Adam-Albert  Neipperg,  who  received  his 
early  education  at  Stuttgart  and  Strasbourg,  and 
subsequently  in  France,  at  the  age  of  fifteen 
adopted  the  profession  of  a  soldier,  in  which 
he  was  destined  to  rise  so  high.  He  joined  the 
Austrian  Army  in  1790,  and  received  his  baptism 
of  fire  at  Jemmapes  and  Neerwinden.  On 
September  14,  at  Dcelen,  he  fell  from  his  horse 
covered  with  sabre-cuts  from  the  enemy's 
cavalry,  and  was  left  on  the  field  for  dead. 

On  the   following   day  he  was   picked  up 
among  the  wounded  and  conveyed  to  the  hos- 

24 


of  Marie-Louise 

pital  of  Saint-Tronc,  where  it  was  soon  dis- 
covered that  he  spoke  French  too  well  for  a 
German,  and  he  was  consequently  within  an 
ace  of  being  shot  as  an  emigre. 

He,  however,  escaped  this  fate,  and  soon 
recovered  from  his  wounds,  although  a  sabre- 
cut  had  completely  destroyed  the  sight  of  his 
right  eye.  After  being  exchanged  as  a  prisoner 
of  war,  he  rejoined  his  corps  and  took  part  in 
most  of  the  sanguinary  encounters  of  those 
memorable  Italian  campaigns,  such  as  took 
place  at  Cassano,  Novi,  on  the  Mincio,  at 
Trebbia,  and  finally  at  Marengo,  where  he 
roused  old  Melas  from  his  torpor  and  com- 
pelled him  to  realize  that  the  battle  was  not  lost. 

In  1810  he  was  sent  to  Paris  to  negotiate  an 
exchange  of  prisoners.  Subsequently  he  was 
appointed  ambassador  to  Stockholm,  where  he 
made  his  diplomatic  debut.  He  supported  the 
rapprochement  of  Russia  and  England  with 
Sweden,  from  whose  king  he  received  the 
Grand  Cross  of  the  Ordre  de  1'Epee. 

Stockholm  society  received  him  with  open 
arms,  and  his  successes  in  that  capital  were  not 

25 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

confined  to  diplomacy  alone.  It  was  here  that 
he  first  made  the  acquaintance  of  Madame  de 
Stael,  that  woman  of  genius,  whose  brilliant 
wit  was  in  no  way  impaired  by  the  fact  that  she 
was  then  a  fugitive  from  her  country.  She  gave 
this  young  officer  of  well-known  chivalrous  ten- 
dencies, who  was  then  thirty-five  years  of  age, 
the  appropriate  nickname  of  the  German 
Bayard. 

Then  followed  the  sad  though  heroic  cam- 
paigns of  1812  and  1813,  and  Neipperg  was 
recalled  to  resume  a  command  in  the  army.  He 
took  part  in  the  colossal  struggle  of  France  with 
the  European  coalition  which  had  "been  formed 
against  her. 

He  fought  at  Reichenberg,  at  Stolpen  and  at 
Leipzig,  where  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank 
of  Lieutenant-Field-Marshal  on  the  field  of 
battle,  and  he  was  subsequently  selected  to 
carry  to  Vienna  the  news  of  this  victory,  due 
in  no  small  degree  to  the  treasonable  conduct 
of  the  Saxon  troops. 

The    scene    changes;    Neipperg   is   sent    to 

Naples  to  negotiate  with  Murat,  and  he  induces 

26 


of  Marie-Louise 

the  brave  but  unfortunate  Joachim  to  sign  a 
treaty  with  the  allies  on  January  n,  1814,  by 
which  he,  Napoleon's  own  brother-in-law,  un- 
dertakes to  unite  his  standard  with  that  of 
Austria — a  step  which  was  not  destined  to 
improve  his  future  fortunes.1 

At  the  termination  of  this  mission  the  soldier- 
diplomatist  returned  to  Vienna.  His  conspicu- 
ous intelligence  led  Prince  Metternich  to  realize 
what  a  useful  agent  he  might  prove,  and  the 
Austrian  statesman  was  not  slow  to  put  his 
capabilities  to  a  further  test.  Neipperg,  there- 
fore, is  sent  to  Mantua  bearing  the  olive-branch 
in  the  shape  of  an  autograph  letter  from  the 
King  of  Bavaria  to  his  son-in-law,  Prince 
Eugene.  He  makes  use  of  this  letter  as  a 
lever  to  induce  the  Prince  to  follow  the  example 
of  his  father-in-law  and  to  discontinue  a  resist- 
ance which  the  fall  and  abdication  of  Napoleon 
had  rendered  useless. 

Eugene  replied  to  his  arguments  as  follows  : 

1  Murat  undertook  to  supply  the  allies  with  30,000 
men,  and  in  return  his  kingdom  of  Naples  was 
guaranteed  to  him. 

27 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

"  I  understand  nothing  about  politics ;  but,  if  it 
is  true  that  the  Emperor  has  abdicated,  there  is 
not  a  moment  to  lose;  let  us  join  our  troops  at 
once,  and  march  in  support  of  the  rights  of  the 
Empress  Regent  and  her  son." 

This  was  not  the  answer  which  the  wily  diplo- 
matist hoped  for,  but  the  object  which  intrigue 
failed  to  attain  was  brought  about  by  the  fall 
of  the  Colossus  of  Europe. 

The  foregoing  will,  in  a  few  words,  have 
described  the  life  up  to  now  of  the  individual 
who  is  about  to  take  a  prominent  place  in  the 
following  pages. 

The  sight  of  this  plain,  middle-aged  man  at 
the  door  of  her  carriage,  and  the  recollection 
that  he  had  been,  both  as  soldier  and  diplo- 
matist, one  of  Napoleon's  most  inveterate  ene- 
mies, "produced  a  disagreeable  impression  on 
the  mind  of  Marie-Louise,  and  she  made  no 
attempt  to  conceal  it."  She  had  at  once  recog- 
nized the  General  who  had  acted  as  her  Cham- 
berlain during  her  visit  to  Prague  in  1812, 
although  she  had  not  seen  him  since.1 

1  We  should  here  draw  attention  to  an  opinion,  ac- 
28 


of  Marie-Louise 

This  Austrian  officer,  chosen  by  Prince  Metter- 
nich  to  amuse  and  interest  the  Empress,  was  an 
insinuating  and  flattering  courtier.  "  He  was 
also  highly  accomplished,  and  a  good  musician. 
Energetic  and  clever,  but  not  over-refined,  he 
was  able  to  hide  his  subtlety  under  the  cloak 
of  assumed  simplicity.  He  expressed  himself 
gracefully  both  in  speech  and  in  writing." 

He  was  also  a  hero  of  romance,  although  he 
did  not  possess  all  the  attractions  and  seductive- 
ness usually  attributed  to  individuals  of  that 

cording  to  which,  the  attachment  of  Marie-Louise  to 
Neipperg  dates  from  as  far  back  as  this  period.  "  It 
was  probably  then  that  their  liaison  commenced,  and 
M.  de  Bausset,  in  mentioning  the  arrival  of  Neipperg 
in  Savoy,  gives  us  very  plainly  to  understand  it.  ... 
Besides,  the  following  is  what  M.  Bresson,  who  used 
to  see  a  good  deal  of  my  nephew,  said  he  had  heard 
from  La  Valette,  whom  he  had  received  and  concealed 
in  his  house  after  his  escape.  At  the  commencement 
of  1814  a  messenger  was  arrested  or  found  dead,  I 
forget  which.  He  was  the  bearer  of  a  letter  from 
Marie-Louise  to  Neipperg,  in  which  she  said,  '  Let  us 
be  patient.  All  this  is  coming  to  grief  and  cannot  last 
much  longer.'  M.  La  Valette  had  seen  the  letter  and 
read  it.  He  repeated  it  to  M.  Bresson  who  told  my 
nephew."  Mme.  Cavaignac,  Les  Memories  d'une 
inconnue,  1780-1816,  p.  361.  Plon  :  Paris,  1894. 

29 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

order.  Notwithstanding  the  loss  of  an  eye  and 
the  black  bandage1  which  he  wore  in  conse- 
quence, and  in  spite  of  his  thirty-nine  years  the 
blood  of  youth  still  flowed  in  Neipperg's  veins ; 
he  could  have  given  lessons  in  gallantry  to  Don 
Juan  himself,  and  no  conceivable  Lovelace 
would  have  been  his  equal  where  women's 
hearts  were  concerned.  His  wife  2  was  a  lady 

1  Neipperg  wore  this  unsightly  bandage  all  his  life. 
It  might  well  be  asked  why  this  lady-killer  did  not  take 
to  a  glass  eye,  which  was  not  an  invention  of  even 
recent  date.  In  the  1579  edition  of  Les  (Euvres 
d'Ambroise  Par6  is  the  first  mention  of  an  "artificial 
eye  made  for  the  use  of  the  patient."  In  his  book 
this  great  surgeon  describes  and  gives  drawings  of 
artificial  eyes  made  of  leather  and  metal.  As  he  does 
not  claim  to  be  the  author  of  this  invention,  there  is 
reason  to  believe  that  before  his  time  this  ocular 
adjunct  had  been  in  use. 

2  Therese  n6e  Comtesse  Pola,  who  died  April  23, 
1815.  "  He  (the  Baron  du  Montet)  had  seen  a  great 
deal  of  him  in  former  days  in  Italy  when  he  was  pos- 
sionately  in  love  with  the  Comtesse  Trento,  who  caused 
her  first  marriage  to  be  dissolved  in  order  to  marry 
him.  It  was  a  very  difficult  matter  to  arrange,  and, 
one  day  when  Neipperg,  after  the  manner  of  a  man 
madly  in  love,  was  inveighing  against  the  obstacles 
and  delays  in  connection  with  his  marriage  with  the 
Comtesse  Trento  he  exclaimed,  '  There  is,  after  all,  no 

30 


of  Marie-Louise 

whom  "he  took  from  her  husband,  M.  de  Re- 
mondini,"  at  Bologna,  on  his  way  to  Mantua, 
and  he  did  not  marry  her  till  the  year 
1813. 

On  leaving  Milan,  Neipperg  had  said  to  his 
mistress  in  reference  to  Marie-Louise  :  "  Before 
six  months  are  over  I  shall  be  her  lover,  and  not 
long  afterwards  her  husband."  The  heart  of 
Marie-Louise  was  but  feebly  garrisoned,  and 
six  months  were  not  required  to  bring  about  its 
surrender. 

On  her  arrival  at  Aix  Marie-Louise  lodged 
at  a  villa  belonging  to  a  M.  Chevalley,  situated 
on  a  hill  overlooking  the  town.  From  this  pic- 
turesque situation  the  most  beautiful  view  was 
obtained,  embracing  the  lake  of  Bourget,  the 
meadows  beyond,  and  a  blue  range  of  moun- 
tains with  their  rugged  rocks  and  snowy  peaks 
in  the  far  distance.  This  house,  which  had 
been  prepared  for  her  reception  by  M.  Bal- 


cause  for  surprise  as  it  was  prophesied  to  me  that  my 
marriages  would  be  of  an  extraordinary  nature. '  "  La 
Baronne  du  Montet,  p.  296. 

31 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

louhey,  had  been  formerly  occupied  by  Queen 
Hortense. 

It  should  be  said  that  at  this  period  Marie- 
Louise  had  not  completely  forgotten  her  hus- 
band, and  that  they  still  corresponded.  The 
ladies  and  gentlemen  of  her  suite  were  the 
Duchesse  de  Montebello,  widow  of  a  marshal 
of  France,  the  Comtesse  de  Brignole,  her  lady- 
in-waiting,  the  Baron  de  Bausset  and  the  Comte 
de  Cussy,  her  chamberlains,  both  strong  Bona- 
partists,  and  finally  Meneval,  whose  love  and 
admiration  for  Napoleon  knew  no  bounds. 
Thus  her  court,  with  the  exception  of  General 
Neipperg,  was  entirely  French,  a  fact  which 
served  to  maintain  a  connecting  link  between 
the  Empress  and  France.  All  her  surround- 
ings, also,  reminded  the  Duchesse  de  Colorno 
of  the  Emperor :  her  coachmen  and  footmen, 
also  French,  continued  to  wear  the  livery  of  the 
Tuileries,  and  the  Imperial  arms  were  still  dis- 
played on  the  panels  of  her  carriages. 

At  the  commencement  of  her  stay  at  Aix  the 
audiences  which  the  Empress  granted  to 
General  Neipperg  were  more  or  less  official,  and 

32 


of  Marie-Louise 

during  the  short  time  that  Meneval  was  there — 
and  we  quote  Meneval  himself — there  was 
nothing  to  lead  to  the  suspicion  that  this  man, 
sent  by  Austria  to  simulate  the  part  of  an  ad- 
mirer, would  soon  become  the  real  lover,  and 
shortly  afterwards  the  husband  of  the  daughter 
of  the  Caesars  and  of  the  actual  wife  of  the 
great  Conqueror.1 

On  July  19  Meneval  left  Marie-Louise  and 
spent  a  considerable  time  with  his  family. 

1  Neipperg  had,  however,  already  gained  the  con- 
fidence and  friendship  of  the  Empress.  On  July  22  she 
wrote  from  Aix  to  the  Emperor  Francis  as  follows  : 
"  My  rooms  here  are  small  but  comfortable ;  Count  do 
Neuperg  [sic]  is  most  attentive  and  I  like  his  ways." 
Arch,  de  Vienne.  Quoted  by  Auguste  Fournier, 
Marie-Louise  et  la  Chute  de  Napoleon.  Extract  from 
the  Revue  Historique,  p.  13.  Paris,  1903. 


33 


Ill 

MARIE-LOUISE   AT   AIX 

MARIE-LOUISE  had  no  intention  of  spending 
her  time  at  Aix  as  a  mournful,  disconsolate 
grass-widow.  No  sooner  had  she  settled  in 
her  villa  than  she  "took  part  in  all  the  public 
entertainments  and,  surrounded  by  the  cosmo- 
politan society  of  a  watering-place,  instead  of 
behaving  like  an  Empress — an  Empress  of  the 
French  recently  dethroned  and  separated  from 
husband  and  son — she  assumed  the  manners 
of  a  smart  young  woman  seeking  to  emancipate 
and  amuse  herself.  Indeed,  notwithstanding 
the  terrible  disasters  which  had  befallen 
Napoleon,  the  Empire  and  France,  she  thought 
only  of  pleasure.  She  arranged  expeditions 
and  gave  frequent  garden-parties,  and  attended 
others  to  which  she  was  invited."  Quite  a 
sensation  was  created  by  her  evening  parties, 

34 


Marie- Louise 

at  which  Talma,  always  admirable  in  his  power 
fill  rendering  of  passion,  would  give  recitations 
of  the  most  famous  scenes  from  the  English 
drama. 

Dressed  in  a  neat  habit  "she  went  for  long 
rides  every  day,"  and  she  took  a  great  fancy 
to  "  boating  on  the  lake  of  Bourget."  More- 
over, this  life  of  excitement  seemed  to  agree 
marvellously  with  the  Empress :  "  My  stay 
here  has  done  my  health  good,"  she  writes  to 
one  of  her  friends ;  "  I  bathe  regularly,  which 
no  doubt  strengthens  my  lungs."  She  was 
evidently  so  much  stronger  that  she  was  not 
afraid  to  sit,  with  but  lightly  covered  shoulders, 
to  Isabey,  who  had  also  come  to  spend  a  few 
days  at  Aix. 

This  artist,  whose  work  is  so  finished  and 
refined  and  whose  signature  is  to  be  found  on 
so  many  portraits  of  Napoleon,  painted,  while 
at  Aix,  the  miniature  of  the  Empress  which  she 
presented  to  her  first  chamberlain,  M.  de 
Bausset. 

The  1 5th  of  August — the  birthday,  as  also 
the  fete  day,  of  the  fallen  sovereign — recalled 

C2  35 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

to  the  mind  of  Marie-Louise  the  image  of  the 
husband  she  was  already  beginning  to  forget. 
Her  thoughts  went  back  involuntarily  to  the 
days  not  long  past  when,  seated  by  the  Em- 
peror's side  and  amidst  surroundings  indicative 
of  his  power,  she  was  rapturously  received  by 
the  entire  population  of  Paris.  These  remini- 
scences seem  for  a  moment  to  have  softened 
her  heart  and  must  even,  we  should  think,  have 
brought  tears  to  her  eyes. 

She  wrote  to  Meneval — 

"August  15,  1814.  .  .  .  This  is  one  of  my 
sad  days,  or  am  I  deceiving  myself !  How 
can  I  be  cheerful  when  I  am  obliged  to  spend 
this  anniversary,  to  me  so  sacred,  far  from  the 
two  individuals  I  love  the  most." 

These  were,  however,  but  fleeting  thoughts. 
Marie-Louise,  after  spending  one  day  in  a 
state  of  melancholy  depression,  returned  more 
enthusiastically  than  ever  to  her  life  of  excite- 
ment. Her  conduct  and  manners  had  become 
so  unseemly,  that  the  Due  de  Berry,  at  the 
Council  of  Ministers  on  August  5,  did  not 
hesitate  to  assert  that  "Marie-Louise  was  be- 

36 


of  Marie-Louise 

having  at  Aix  in  the  most  undignified  way," 
that  instead  of  taking  the  waters,  she  was 
spending  her  time  "surrounded  by  French 
officers."  Consequently  on  the  9th  of  the 
same  month  Talleyrand  wrote  to  Metternich, 
saying :  "  That  as  Madame  1'Archiduchesse 
had  more  than  completed  her  cure  at  the 
waters,  it  would  be  as  well  that  her  visit  to 
Aix  should  come  to  an  end."  The  same  idea 
prevailed  at  Vienna,  and  about  August  15  she 
received  a  letter  from  Metternich  by  which  she 
is  informed  that  her  father  not  only  forbids  her 
to  visit  Parma,  but  expresses  a  desire  that  her 
conduct  in  future  "will  be  more  decorous." 

She  was,  of  course,  obliged  to  comply  with 
these  injunctions,  and  therefore  quitted  Aix  at 
the  beginning  of  September;  but  before 
actually  starting  for  Vienna  she  insisted  upon 
making  an  expedition  to  Switzerland,  and 
Neipperg,  who  had  by  this  time  gained  her 
confidence  and  affection,  acted  as  her  guide. 

We  must  now  turn  our  thoughts  towards  the 
Emperor,  who,  seemingly,  was  seeking  repose 

37 


The   Marriage  Ventures 

from  his  grand  ideas  of  universal  conquest  in 
his  little  kingdom  of  Elba. 

He  was  busy  preparing  apartments  at  San 
Martino  for  the  reception  of  the  Empress,  and 
might  be  seen,  in  silk  stockings  and  buckled 
shoes,  personally  supervising  the  workmen. 
He  had  even  gone  so  far  as  to  suggest  to  the 
painter,  who  was  to  decorate  the  drawing-room 
ceiling,  an  allegorical  subject  full  of  poetical 
charm  :  "  two  turtle-doves  attached  to  the  oppo- 
site ends  of  a  ribbon,  a  knot  in  which  would 
tighten  as  they  flew  apart."  These  two  white 
birds,  symbols  of  sincerity  and  innocence,  were 
to  represent  the  Emperor  and  Marie-Louise — 
Marie-Louise  who  was  already  the  mistress  of 
the  one-eyed  Neipperg,  and  on  the  point  of 
starting  with  him  on  a  romantic  tour  amidst  the 
glaciers  of  the  Oberland. 

On  August  10  a  letter  from  the  Empress 
was  brought  to  Napoleon  by  a  so-called  com- 
mercial traveller.  It  was  dated  July  31,  and 
was  the  last  letter  he  was  to  receive  from  her. 
In  it  she  informed  him  of  the  fact  of  her  being 
obliged  to  return  to  Vienna,  at  the  same  time 

38 


of  Marie-Louise 

assuring  him  of  her  affection,  and  of  her 
determination  to  return  to  him  as  soon  as 
possible. 

The  Emperor  was  quite  prepared  to  wait 
patiently,  but,  anxious  to  have  more  frequent 
news,  begged  her  "to  address  her  letters  to 
M.  Senno  and  send  them  to  Genoa  under  cover 
to  M.  Constantin  Gatelli,"  a  Genoese  mer- 
chant "with  whom  his  Majesty  was  in  business 
correspondence  with  regard  to  his  poultry-yard 
and  dairy  at  San  Martino."  It  was  indeed 
pitiable,  writes  M.  Paul  Gruyer,  that  Napoleon, 
who  had  worn  the  purple  and  been  master  of 
the  world,  should  be  reduced  to  soliciting  the 
services  of  M.  Constantin  Gatelli  and  assum- 
ing a  name  which  did  not  belong  to  him.  For 
ten  days  he  had  received  no  news;  he  began 
to  be  uneasy,  and  resolved  to  learn  the  truth 
about  the  Empress. 

On  August  20  he  sent  for  Hurault  de  Sor- 
bee,  a  captain  in  the  Imperial  guards,  whom 
he  had  married  to  Mile.  Katzener,  maid  of 
honour  to  Marie-Louise. 

The  Emperor,  in  giving  this  officer  leave  to 
39 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

pay  a  visit  to  his  young  wife  at  Aix,  made  him 
understand  that  he  must  at  all  costs  obtain  a 
secret  interview  with  the  Empress  and,  with 
the  assistance  of  his  wife,  induce  her  to  embark 
with  him  at  Genoa  for  the  Island  of  Elba. 
Hurault  arrived  at  Aix;  Neipperg,  however, 
being  on  the  watch,  caused  him  to  be  arrested 
and  sent  to  Paris,  where  the  police  had  orders 
to  prevent  his  return  to  Elba.  As  far  as 
Napoleon  was  concerned,  the  fact  that  Captain 
Hurault  was  unable  to  return  to  Elba  was  not 
so  much  to  be  regretted,  for  he  could  but  have 
conveyed  to  his  Majesty  the  sad  intelligence 
that  in  the  Empress's  mind  her  husband  was 
but  a  fleeting  memory.1 

1  "  A  fortnight  ago  I  received  a  visit  from  one  of  the 
Emperor's  officers,  bearer  of  a  letter,  in  which  he  tells 
me  to  start  immediately  for  the  Island  of  Elba  where 
he  awaits  me  with  much  impatience.  This  is  the  second 
officer  who  has  called  upon  me  within  a  week.  By  the 
first  (Colonel  Laczinski)  I  replied  that  I  had  to  be  in 
Vienna  in  a  few  days  and  that  it  would  be  impossible 
for  me  to  go  to  Elba  without  your  permission.  I  have 
not  yet  replied  to  the  second  letter,  of  which  Captain 
Hurault  was  the  bearer.  I  tell  you  all  this,  my  dear 
father,  because  I  confide  everything  to  you,  and  I 

40 


of  Marie-Louise 

Marie-Louise  was  then,  as  we  now  know,  on 
the  point  of  starting  with  her  lover  to  spend  a 
honeymoon  amidst  the  mountains  of  Switzer- 
land, where  they  hoped  for  a  time  to  forget  the 
troubles  of  everyday  life. 

There  is  reason  to  believe  that  at  this  time 
the  relations  between  Marie-Louise  and  Neip- 
perg  had  gone  beyond  the  limits  of  a  dream, 
and  that  the  friendship  that  existed  between  this 
society  diplomatist  and  the  Empress  was  now 
no  longer  platonic.1  Certain  it  is  that  the  time 

should  not  like  these  occurrences  to  lead  you  to  any 
want  of  confidence  in  me.  You  may  be  quite  sure  that 
I  never  was  less  inclined  to  start  on  such  a  journey 
than  I  am  now,  and  I  give  you  my  word  of  honour  that 
I  will  never  undertake  it  without  having  previously 
obtained  your  permission  to  do  so.  Please  tell  me 
what  answer  I  should  send  to  the  Emperor."  Letter 
from  Marie-Louise  of  September  30,  quoted  by  Auguste 
Fournier. 

1  This  is  the  opinion  generally  held  by  historians. 
But  it  is  only  right  to  say  that  quite  recently  M. 
Edouard  Wertheimer  (Der  Herzog  von  Reichstadt, 
p.  135,  note  Hi.,  and  p.  136,  note  i.),  basing  his  argu- 
ment on  recent  documents,  unhesitatingly  declares,  that 
this  "sad  episode  in  the  Empress's  life  was  of  later 

41 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

was  fast  approaching  when,  according  to  M. 
Imbert  de  Saint-Amand,  the  Emperor  "would 
be  but  a  stranger  to  Marie-Louise. 

"  At  this  time  the  influence  of  Neipperg  over 
the  Empress  became  daily  more  dominant, 
whereas  that  of  her  former  councillors,  MM. 
de  Meneval  and  de  Bausset,  proportionately 
diminished.  Marie-Louise  who,  at  first  would 
not  tolerate  even  the  suggestion  of  being  in 
Vienna  at  the  same  time  as  the  sovereigns  who 
had  humbled  her  husband,  now  became  quite 
reconciled  to  the  idea.  The  Comte  de  Neip- 
perg never  left  her,  and  her  courage  in  under- 
taking not  only  fatiguing,  but  at  times  even 
dangerous  excursions  among  glaciers  and 

date."  The  documents  on  which  M.  Wertheimer 
relies  are  probably  a  letter  from  Neipperg  to  the 
Emperor,  of  August  20,  in  which  the  General  states  his 
readiness  to  give  up  his  post  and  rejoin  the  troops  at 
Pavia,  as  his  mission  was  only  to  last  during  the 
sojourn  of  Marie-Louise  on  French  territory,  and  on 
another  letter  to  Metternich,  dated  Berne,  September 
22,  in  which  the  General  begs  to  be  appointed  ambas- 
sador at  Turin  where  "he  hopes  to  be  able  to  be  of 
some  use  in  that  diplomatic  as  well  as  military 
position." 

42 


of  Marie-Louise 

mountains  was  entirely  due  to  the  knowledge 
that  he  was  beside  her.  He  had  the  additional 
merit  of  being  a  good  musician,  which  enabled 
him  not  only  to  play  to  her,  but  also  to  accom- 
pany her  songs.  It  would  be  impossible  to 
imagine  a  more  devoted,  assiduous  and  obse- 
quious servant  than  was  the  General  at  this 
time.  Perhaps  he  was  even  then  her  lover,  in 
any  case  he  was  rapidly  becoming  indispens- 
able to  her.  He  flattered  himself  that  he  would 
be  able  to  solve  all  difficulties,  overcome  all 
obstacles  and  finally  lead  Marie -Louise  to  that 
Duchy  of  Parma  which  she  looked  upon  as  a 
promised  land." 

On  September  9,  1814,  Marie-Louise  and 
her  suite  spent  the  night  at  Lausanne,  and  the 
next  day  pursued  the  journey  to  Payerne.  An 
hour  before  arriving  at  the  gates  of  this  town, 
"  Madame  de  Colorno  stopped  her  carriage  to 
listen  to  an  old-fashioned  serenade  prepared  in 
her  honour  by  the  Protestant  minister  of 
Payerne,  who  had  taken  up  a  position  on  some 
rising  ground  in  the  Bois  de  Boulez.  This 
good  man's  melodies  were  accompanied  by  a 

43 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

flute  and  violin  played  by  his  two  daughters. 
At  the  conclusion  of  this  little  family  concert, 
they  offered  fruit  and  flowers  to  Marie-Louise, 
and,  their  brother  dressed  in  ancient  Swiss 
costume  and  standing  with  his  herd  at  the  edge 
of  the  wood,  sang  the  "  Ranz  des  Vaches." 

This  unexpected  rural  scene  was  a  complete 
success,  and  nearly  brought  tears  to  the  eyes 
of  the  Duchesse  de  Colorno,  who  warmly  con- 
gratulated the  country  maidens  and  the  cooing 
Thyrcis,  whose  melodies  transported  her  for  a 
moment  to  the  realms  of  Arcadia. 

Marie-Louise  slept  at  Fribourg  on  the  loth  and 
on  the  nth  at  Berne.  She  visited  the  glaciers 
of  Grindelwald,  Lauterbrunnen,  and  the  Rigi, 
and  took  especial  interest  in  the  famous  Agri- 
cultural College  at  Hofwil. 

But  before  they  embarked  on  expeditions  to 
these  heaven-reaching  heights  of  solitary 
grandeur  they,  perhaps  prudently,  arranged  to 
leave  the  Baron  de  Bausset  and  Meneval  be- 
hind them,  neither  the  one  nor  the  other  being 
of  an  age  to  endure  the  hardships  of  such  ex- 
cursions, added  to  which,  both  these  gentlemen 

44 


of  Marie-Louise 

dreaded  the  fogs  and  attacks  of  rheumatism 
which  might  ensue. 

They  excused  themselves  without  difficulty, 
saying  that  they  had  both  of  them  seen  enough 
snow  in  the  arid  plains  of  Russia  to  satisfy 
them,  and  had  no  desire  to  repeat  such  ex- 
periences. This  left  the  field  clear  for  Neip- 
perg,  who  proved  himself  a  pleasant,  attentive, 
indefatigable  guide,  always  laying  himself  out 
to  oblige  the  Empress  and,  no  doubt,  press- 
ing his  court  with  the  suggestive  glances  of  an 
ardent  lover. 

Marie-Louise  returned  to  Berne  ten  days 
afterwards,  and  here  found  a  messenger  sent 
by  the  Emperor  of  Austria,  with  the  news  of 
the  death  of  her  grandmother,  Queen  Caro- 
line. She  appeared  to  be  much  grieved  at  the 
sad  intelligence.  An  unexpected  visit,  how- 
ever, soon  diverted  her  mind  from  this  passing 
sorrow.  The  Princess  of  Wales,  already  so 
well  known  on  account  of  her  family  differ- 
ences, stopped  at  Berne  on  her  way  to  Rome 
and  sent  Lord  Craven,  her  chamberlain,  to  pre- 
sent her  duty  to  Marie -Louise.  M.  de  Bausset 

45 


The   Marriage  Ventures 

was  directed  by  the  Empress  to  return  the  com- 
pliment to  the  Princess  and  at  the  same  time 
to  invite  her  and  her  suite  to  dinner. 

The  eccentric  traveller  to  whom  he  presented 
himself  was  a  woman  forty-six  years  of  age 
and  of  medium  height.  She  had  regular  and 
somewhat  pronounced  features,  with  a  fresh 
complexion  and  much  facial  expression.  She 
was  wearing  a  full  dress  of  white  muslin 
trimmed  with  lace,  and  a  long  veil  of  the  same 
material  fell  on  her  shoulders.  A  row  of 
diamonds  encircling  her  head  formed  a  dia- 
dem, and  she  also  wore  a  necklace  of  magni- 
ficent pearls.  The  Princess,  indeed,  might 
have  been  taken  for  some  priestess  of  ancient 
Greece.1 

1  Bausset,  p.  54 — M^neval.  Souvenirs  Historiques, 
II.,  pp.  293,  294  and  295.  One  might  be  led  to  imagine 
that  M.  de  Bausset  and  M.  de  M6neval  were  romancing 
were  it  not  that  we  have  other  descriptions,  not  less 
fantastic,  of  the  costumes  worn  by  this  strange  woman. 
The  Baronne  du  Montet,  who  saw  Queen  Caroline  at  * 
Vienna  in  April  1817,  writes  as  follows  in  her 
Souvenirs :  "  She  appeared  the  day  before  yesterday  at 
the  theatre  attired  in  white  satin  trousers,  over  which 
was  a  very  short  skirt.  Her  hair  was  dressed  very 

46 


of  Marie-Louise 

She  received  Bausset  most  graciously  and 
observing  that  he  was  looking  with  evident 
interest  "  at  a  little  child  of  ten  to  twelve  years 
old  whose  hand  she  held,  said  :  '  This  is  my 
protege  Austin  who  is  mentioned  in  the 
Memoirs  that  the  world  has  attributed  to  me." 
She  begged  Bausset  to  tell  the  Empress  she 
would  visit  her  on  the  following  day,  and  the 
chamberlain  took  his  leave,  charmed  with  her 
graciousness  and  intelligence. 


high  and  diamonds  were  arranged  in  strange  fashion 
on  her  fantastic  head-dress."  The  Baronne  du  Montet 
saw  her  at  another  time  at  her  window  when  she  was 
not  less  quaintly  attired  :  "  She  wore  a  kind  of  bonnet 
or  cap  bordered  with  fur,  and  a  braided  green  cloth 
jacket  "  (pp.  161-162). 

The  following  is  a  description  of  Queen  Caroline  by 
the  Comtesse  de  Boigne,  who  saw  her  in  1818  :  "She 
was  a  fat  woman  of  about  fifty  years  of  age,  short, 
round  and  of  ruddy  complexion.  She  wore  a  pink 
bonnet  with  seven  or  eight  pink  feathers  fluttering  in 
the  wind,  a  low  cut  bodice,  and  a  short  white  skirt 
which  scarcely  reached  her  knees,  below  which  her 
thick  legs,  clad  in  pink  boots,  were  visible.  A  pink 
scarf,  which  she  was  continually  draping  about  her, 
completed  the  costume."  Memoires  de  la  Comtesse  de 
Boigne,  II.  1815-1819,  p.  51.  Plon  :  Paris,  1907. 

47 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

The  next  day  the  two  Princesses  exchanged 
formal  visits,  after  which  Caroline  dined  with 
the  Empress.  She  was  accompanied  by  the 
members  of  her  suite,  whom  Bausset  had  been 
instructed  to  invite.  They  were  Lady  Forbes, 
her  lady-in-waiting,  whose  appearance  was  no 
less  peculiar  than  that  of  her  mistress,  Lord 

Craven,  her  first  chamberlain,  Sir Gill, 

another  chamberlain,  Captain  Hesse,  her 
equerry,  and  Dr.  Holland. 

The  dinner  was  full  of  animation,  and 
was  followed  by  a  delightfully  lively  evening. 
After  an  interesting  discussion  on  music  and 
the  fine  arts,  Neipperg  went  to  the  piano  and 
played  a  series  of  Italian  melodies  with  his 
usual  spirit. 

The  Princess  was  begged  to  sing  and  at 
once  agreed  to  do  so,  provided  the  Empress 
would  join  her  in  a  duet.  Marie-Louise  "  made 
shyness  an  excuse  for  not  doing  so,"  but  the 
Princess  encouraged  her,  saying,  "  That  as  far 
as  she  personally  was  concerned  she  was  never 
frightened,  but  was  only  sorry  for  her  friends." 

She    insisted    so    strongly   that    the    Empress 

48 


of  Marie-Louise 

finally   yielded.      They   chose   the    celebrated 
duet  from  Mozart's  masterpiece  Don  Juan. 

After  Neipperg  had  struck  a  few  chords  and 
played  a  preliminary  symphony,  the  two 
Princesses  came  to  the  piano  and  then  com- 
menced the  soft  and  melancholy  bars  of  the 
introduction,  at  the  conclusion  of  which  Caro- 
line in  an  amorous  voice  took  up  the  strain — 

"  La,  nous  deux  mains  unies, 
La,  tu  vas  dire  oui. 
Par  ces  sentes  fleuries 
Eloignons — nous  d'ici." 

And  Zerlina,  with  tender  and  natural  expres- 
sion, replied  to  Don  Juan — 

"Je  veux  et  puis  je  n'ose, 
Le  coeur  me  bat  plus  fort, 
L'ivresse,  qu'il  me  cause 
Me  peut  tromper  encor." 

Then  came  Caroline's  turn  again,  and  she  com- 
menced the  third  verse  in  a  "  deep  and  sonor- 
ous voice." 

After  the  last  stanza,  in  which  both  joined, 
the  little  drawing-room  rang  with  applause,  and 

no  doubt  the  finale  of  that  famous  duet,  in 
D  49 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

which  the  two  Princesses  displayed  the  utmost 
qualities  of  their  voices,  was  honoured  with  cries 
for  an  encore.  It  was  in  any  case  a  charming 
scene  and  a  lovely  picture. 

The  day  after  this  pleasant  evening  Marie- 
Louise  left  Berne,  and  spent  the  night  at 
Zurich.  General  Neipperg,  wishing  to  remind 
the  Empress  of  the  attractions  of  her  native 
land  while  making  her  forget  those  of  her 
adopted  country,  hinted  that  she  should  pay  a 
visit  to  the  cradle  of  her  ancient  race,  the  ruins 
of  the  Castle  of  Rodolphe  of  Habsbourg. 
They  therefore  started  along  the  Aaren  road, 
and  within  twelve  kilometres  of  that  town,  on 
the  right  bank  of  the  Aar,  they  reached  an  old 
dismantled  tower  covered  with  ivy  and  moss. 

This  was  all  that  remained  of  the  castle  on 
which  the  ravages  of  eight  centuries  had  left 
their  mark. 

In  it  the  young  and  beautiful  heiress  could 
find  no  other  place  on  which  to  rest  but  the 
ruins  around  her,  in  the  midst  of  which  the 
ingenious  Neipperg  suddenly  and  with  an 
exclamation  of  triumph  "picked  up  a  piece 

50 


of  Marie-Louise 

of  flat  and  pointed  iron  in  which  he  was 
pleased  to  recognize  a  fragment  of  Rodolphe's 
lance."  According  to  Meneval,  the  Empress 
was  so  easily  taken  in  by  this  deception  that, 
on  her  return  to  Vienna,  fragments  of  the 
fictitious  relic  were  set  in  rings  of  gold  which 
the  descendant  of  Rodolphe  presented  to  the 
General,  Mme.  de  Brignole,  Meneval  and  the 
Baron  de  Bausset. 

Marie-Louise,  at  the  conclusion  of  this  long 
expedition,  insisted  on  going  to  the  Lake  of 
the  Four  Cantons,  and  on  visiting  the  little 
chapel  of  Kiissnacht,  erected  near  the  spot 
where  William  Tell  escaped  from  the  boat 
which  was  conveying  him  a  prisoner  to  that 
stronghold.  She  was  then  conducted  to  the 
ravine  where,  from  his  ambush,  the  great 
liberator  drew  his  bow  with  fatal  effect  on 
Gessler,  Albert  the  First's  tyrannical  lieuten- 
ant of  Switzerland. 

She  was  also  anxious  to  see  once  more 
the  pine-trees  and  snows  of  those  glacial 
regions,  and  for  that  purpose  undertook  a  final 
excursion  to  the  summit  of  the  Rigi.  Then  she 


D2 


Marie-Louise 

made  her  way  to  Schwitz,  and  thence  started 
for  Vienna  via  Saint-Gall,  Constance,  Munich 
and  Braunau,  the  town  where  four  and  a  half 
years  before  the  Queen  of  Naples,  surrounded 
by  a  brilliant  court,  had  received  the  new 
Empress  of  the  French  at  the  hands  of  her 
family,  and  had  adorned  her  with  the  usual 
emblems  of  sovereignty. 

Marie-Louise  arrived  at  Schcenbriinn  on 
October  4,  1814,  at  seven  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing. She  embraced  her  son,  whom  she  found 
in  perfect  health,  and  who  greeted  his  mother 
with  every  mark  of  love  and  affection,  and  she 
here  again  found  herself  amid  the  surroundings 
which  had  given  birth  to  the  day-dreams  of  her 
youth. 


IV 

THE    CONGRESS   OF    VIENNA 

ON   September   26,    1814,   a  heterogeneous 
collection  of  emperors,  kings,  minor  sovereigns 
and    diplomatists    from   the    four   quarters   of 
Europe  assembled  at  Vienna.    Notwithstanding 
the  fact  that  at  that  time  diplomatists  were  sup- 
posed to  be  entirely  absorbed  in  the  complicated 
discussion    of    the    interests    of    peoples    and 
thrones,  magnificent  fetes,  parties,  parades,  gala 
performances,  concerts,  charades  with  the  usual 
accessories  of  tinselled  costumes,  etc.,  followed 
each   other   in   quick   succession.      This   mas- 
querading led  to  the  felicitous  remark  of  the 
Prince  de  Ligne  who,  by  the  bye,  was  so  soon 
to  end  his  career  midst  the   delights  of  this 
modern  Capua :    "  Le  congres  danse,  mais  ne 
marche  pas." 

Five  days  after  the  return  of  the  Empress,  a 
fete  was  given  in  Vienna  at  which  the  sovereigns 
commemorated  the  fall  of  Napoleon  in  the 

53 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

same  hall  which,  four  and  a  half  years  before, 
had  witnessed  the  celebration  of  the  marriage 
of  the  daughter  of  the  Caesars  with  the  con- 
queror of  kings.  Marie-Louise  had  a  great  wish 
to  be  present,  incognita  of  course,  at  this  public 
rejoicing — a  ceremony  which  surely  could  but 
have  added  to  the  grief  which  any  one  but  she 
in  similar  circumstances  would  have  experi- 
enced— 

"  Hidden  at  the  back  of  a  box  which  had  been 
improvised  in  the  roof  of  the  great  hall  of  the 
Vienna  palace,  she  watched,  without  any  ap- 
parent emotion,  the  dances  in  which  such  per- 
sonages as  Metternich,  Castlereagh  and  other  of 
Napoleon's  successful  antagonists  took  part." 

A  few  days  later,  a  great  concert  was  given 
by  Salieri,  the  director  of  the  Imperial  chapel, 
which  Marie-Louise,  her  father  and  her  young 
sisters  attended.  She  was  present  also  at  the 
dress  rehearsal  of  the  brilliant  tournament  which 
was  held  in  the  great  riding-school  attached  to 
the  palace. 

We  will  let  the  Baron  de  Bausset,  who  wit- 
nessed this  fete,  describe  it  in  his  own  words, 

54 


of  Marie-Louise 

"  The  riding-school  was  a  long  parallelogram, 
and  at  each  end  of  the  building  a  commodious 
stand  was  erected,  one  for  the  sovereigns,  and 
the  other  for  the  orchestras.  The  two  side 
galleries  contained  several  rows  of  seats  for 
guests.  In  a  reserved  row,  facing  the 
sovereigns  and  in  front  of  the  musicians, 
solemnly  sat  twenty-four  ladies.  These  were 
represented  by  the  same  number  of  knights 
who  were  about  to  enter  the  arena,  each  pre- 
pared to  prove  in  combat  that  his  particular 
dame  was  the  fairest  of  the  fair. 

"  The  sovereigns  arrived  in  procession  at  nine 
o'clock.  .  .  .  Then,  heralded  by  a  flourish  of 
trumpets,  the  twenty-four  knights  entered  the 
lists  in  magnificent  costumes,  and  mounted  on 
splendid  and  richly  caparisoned  horses.  This 
gorgeous  cavalcade  advanced,  the  knights 
making  obeisance  to  the  sovereigns  and,  turning 
round,  performing  the  same  homage  to  the 
ladies  whose  colours  and  scarves  they  wore. 
Games  and  combats  then  commenced,  and 
followed  in  rotation.  The  usual  competitions, 
such  as  tilting  at  the  ring,  cleaving  dummy 

55 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

heads  and  javelin  exercises,  were  performed 
with  remarkable  accuracy. 

"  This  portion  of  the  entertainment  lasted 
about  an  hour,  and  was  followed  by  military 
evolutions,  marches  and  counter-marches,  end- 
ing with  an  equestrian  quadrille,  which  gave 
the  knights  an  opportunity  of  displaying  all  the 
skill  and  resource  of  accomplished  horsemen. 
.  .  .  During  this  gay  revel  the  twenty-four 
ladies  remained  seated  like  immovable  god- 
desses, content  to  be  admired.  Decked  with 
diamonds,  precious  stones  and  pearls  of  im- 
mense size,  to  which  their  purple  velvet  robes 
added  brilliancy,  they  presented  a  beautiful 
picture  for  all  eyes  to  behold. 

"At  the  conclusion  of  the  tournament  the 
sovereigns  retired,  and  each  knight,  claiming  his 
lady,  conducted  her  to  the  banqueting-hall." 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  there  was  much 
merriment  at  Vienna  at  this  time.  If  it  was  not 
a  tournament,  a  chasse,  or  a  sledging  party,  it 
would  be  tableaux  vivants,  in  which  the  most 
distinguished  members  of  the  Court  reproduced 
in  statuesque  attitudes  various  celebrated 

56 


of  Marie-Louise 

scenes,  such  as  the  Tent  of  Darius,  or  the 
Assembly  of  the  Gods  of  Olympus  and  Par- 
nassus. Sufficient  to  say  that  by  the  month  of 
November,  according  to  Bausset,  thirty  millions 
of  francs  had  already  been  spent  in  entertaining 
the  sovereigns  and  members  of  the  Congress. 

On  her  return  to  Schcenbriinn,  Marie-Louise 
resumed  the  life  of  earlier  days.  The  etiquette 
as  to  dress  was  anything  but  strict — indeed 
"the  Court  breakfasted  and  dined,  as  it  were, 
booted  and  spurred — that  is,  ready  for  a  ride 
or  anything  else  that  might  be  suggested.  Ex- 
cursions, occasional  visits,  billiards,  music  were 
the  principal  occupations  of  this  homely  country 
life. 

Tuesdays  and  Saturdays  were  set  apart  for 
the  reception  of  guests,  as  the  Empress  liked  to 
be  free  for  the  remainder  of  the  week.  She 
left  Schcenbriinn  nearly  every  day  at  about  one 
o'clock  to  visit  her  father,  and  was  sometimes 
accompanied  by  her  son. 

The  young  prince  was  only  taken  to  see  the 
Empress  of  Austria  on  great  occasions,  such  as 
fete-days  and  birthdays,  for,  truth  to  tell,  it  was 

57 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

only  her  father,  the  Emperor,  and  her  sisters 
who  really  treated  Marie-Louise  and  her  son 
with  genuine  kindness.     The  rest  of  the  family 
failed  to  take  that  interest  in  the  child  which 
his  age  and  his  position  might  have  claimed. 
The  Empress  of  Austria  and  her  brothers-in- 
law  went  so  far  as  to  suggest  that  he  should  be 
made  a  bishop ;  a  proposal  which  the  Emperor 
found  it  more  than  once  necessary  to  suppress. 
Towards  the  end  of  October  a  very  valuable 
consignment  arrived  at  the  Palace  of  Schcen- 
briinn.     It  consisted  of  the  magnificent  gifts  of 
the  town  of  Paris  on  the  occasion  of  the  birth 
of  the  little  king :  namely  the  King  of  Rome's 
beautiful   cradle,   a   silver-gilt  mirror,   a  gold 
dressing-case  set,  including  an  oval   looking- 
glass    surrounded    by    cupids.      [These    objets 
d'art  had  been  carefully  packed  and  sealed  in 
the  Imperial  store-rooms  by  Court  officials  in 
the  presence  of  M.  Ballouhey.     A  detachment 
of  gendarmes  had  escorted  the  carriages  con- 
taining   them    as    far    as    Kehl,    where    some 
Austrian  grenadiers  took  charge  of  them  to  their 
destination. 

58 


of  Marie-Louise 

History  does  not  relate  the  impression  made 
on  the  Empress  by  the  sight  of  these  souvenirs. 
We  shall,  however,  see  that  later  on  at  Parma 
she  did  not  hesitate  to  raise  money  on  a  portion 
of  these  costly  presents,  which  should  surely 
have  reminded  her  of  joyful  days  when  every- 
thing justified  the  belief  in  a  happy  future. 

During  a  visit  which  Marie-Louise  paid  on 
December  2  to  the  Empress  of  Russia  at  the 
Burg  palace,  a  number  of  idlers  loitering 
about  her  carriage  were  scandalized  at  seeing 
that  she  had  "retained  the  Imperial  arms  on  the 
panels  of  the  doors  and  on  the  buttons  of  the 
servants'  liveries."  They  even  went  so  far  as 
to  make  loud  and  very  disagreeable  remarks  on 
the  subject.  From  that  time  the  arms  were 
removed,  the  cyphers  on  the  buttons  were 
changed  to  M.L.  and,  in  order  to  make  a  com- 
plete alteration  in  the  appearance  of  the  liveries, 
the  dark  green  collars  of  the  coats  were  re- 
placed by  others  of  "bleu  Marie-Louise." 

It  did  not  cost  the  ex-Empress  much  to 
obliterate  anything  that  might  recall  either 
the  light  of  other  days  or  remind  her  of  the 

59 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

Emperor.  She  was  in  love  with  Neipperg,  and 
"no  longer  even  took  the  trouble  to  hide  her 
strange  infatuation  for  this  man,"  to  whom  there 
is  little  doubt  she  now  belonged  both  body  and 
soul. 

During  their  frequent  rides  and  drives  to- 
gether they  would  sometimes  stop  for  a  while 
at  a  farm,  or  rest  under  a  clump  of  trees  to 
admire  the  landscape.  On  these  occasions  they 
would  refresh  themselves  with  the  "milk  and 
household  bread  supplied  by  some  neighbour- 
ing cottage."  The  romance  of  this  dreamy, 
rural  life,  with  its  occasional  homely  cottage 
fare  of  bread  and  milk  and  its  opportunities  for 
the  unhindered  exchange  of  loving  words,  had  a 
peculiar  poetical  charm  for  Marie-Louise,  and 
would  have  been  a  subject  not  unworthy  of  an 
idyll  by  Gessner  or  a  pastoral  by  Florian.  That 
she  was  now  perfectly  happy  is  shown  by  the 
"good  spirits  and  cheerfulness  which  she  dis- 
played at  this  time." 

Now  that  Neipperg  had  become  master  both 
of  the  mind  and  the  heart  of  the  Empress,  she 

ceased    to    correspond    with    Napoleon.      On 

60 


of  Marie-Louise 

October  10,  1814,  the  monarch  of  the  Island  of 
Elba,  driven  to  desperation  by  this  silence,  the 
cause  of  which  he  did  not  even  suspect,  made 
up  his  mind  to  appeal  to  Ferdinand  III,  Grand 
Duke  of  Tuscany,  his  wife's  uncle,  and  god- 
father to  the  King  of  Rome,  who  had  been  a 
friend  in  the  days  of  his  glorious  prosperity. 
It  was  a  favour  that  he  was  about  to  ask  of  the 
former  member  of  the  Confederation  of  the 
Rhine :  "  My  very  dear  brother  and  uncle," 
wrote  Napoleon  from  Porto-Ferrajo,  "not 
having  received  any  news  of  my  wife  since 
August  10,  nor  of  my  son  for  the  last  six 
months,  I  am  sending  the  Chevalier  Colonna 
with  this  letter  to  you.  I  beg  your  Royal  High- 
ness to  inform  me  whether  I  may  be  allowed 
to  send  a  weekly  letter  to  the  Empress  through 
you,  and  whether  you  would  be  good  enough 
to  forward  to  me  in  the  same  manner  news 
of  the  Empress  and  the  letters  of  Madame  la 
Comtesse  de  Montesquiou,  my  son's  govern- 
ess. I  dare  hope  that,  notwithstanding  the 
events  which  have  altered  the  sentiments  of  so 
many  persons  towards  myself,  your  Royal 

6i 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

Highness  still  retains  some  slight  friendship  for 
me,  and  if  you  would  give  a  formal  assurance 
of  it,  it  would  afford  me  great  consolation.  In 
this  case  I  would  beg  of  your  Royal  Highness 
to  bestow  your  favour  on  this  little  island  which 
shares  the  affection  which  Tuscany  bears  to  you. 

"  Let  me  assure  your  Royal  Highness  that  my 
known  feelings  for  you  remain  unchanged,  and 
I  trust  you  will  believe  in  the  high  esteem  and 
consideration  in  which  I  hold  you.  Let  me  also 
ask  you  to  be  kind  enough  to  remember  me  to 
your  children." 

The  Grand  Duke  of  Tuscany  was  careful  not 
to  answer  this  communication.  The  letter  was 
forwarded  to  Vienna,  where  it  was  opened  by 
the  Emperor  of  Austria,  who  communicated  the 
contents  of  it  to  the  members  of  the  Congress. 
Marie-Louise,  also,  sent  no  reply. 

Napoleon,  having  been  warned  that  the 
secrecy  of  his  letters  was  not  respected,  and  that 
"the  Empress  had  been  forbidden  to  reply  to 
them,  ceased  writing  to  her." 

Marie-Louise  was,  however,  too  much  occu- 
pied with  other  matters  to  think  of  corresponding 

62 


of  Marie-Louise 

with  the  Emperor.  Notwithstanding  her  rides 
with  Neipperg,  billiards,  music,  and  the  visits 
which  were  supposed  "to  occupy  so  much  of 
her  time,"  she  found  leisure  to  resume  her  paint- 
ing, which  the  presence  of  Isabey  at  Vienna 
enabled  her  to  do.  This  clever  artist  had  come 
to  the  Austrian  capital  to  paint  the  portraits 
of  the  sovereigns  at  a  sitting  of  the  Con- 
gress. He  snatched  a  few  hours  every  week  in 
order  to  continue  with  the  Empress  the  lessons 
from  which  she  had  derived  so  much  benefit  in 
former  days.  It  must  be  remembered  that  this 
Archduchess  was  but  a  "  bourgeoise  "  of  simple 
tastes. 

Overcoming  her  innate  distaste  for  work,  she 
sometimes  consented  to  attend  to  the  reports  of 
General  Neipperg,  or  of  the  minister  respon- 
sible for  the  administration  of  the  Duchies  of 
Parma  when  he  came  to  Vienna  for  that 
purpose. 

General  Neipperg  on  one  occasion  read  to  her 
a  very  important  memorandum  written  by  him- 
self, to  which  she  appeared  to  listen  with  par- 
ticular attention.  It  consisted  of  political  and 

63 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

military  problems  with  regard  to  Italy,  in  which 
the  writer  showed  himself  to  be  more  inspired 
by  the  political  maxims  of  Themistocles  than 
by  the  virtuous  principles  of  Aristides.  This 
document,  drawn  up  by  one  who  had  persist- 
ently accused  Napoleon  of  being  actuated  by 
criminal  ambition,  was  greatly  in  favour  of 
Austria  and  equally  unjust.  The  purpose  of 
Count  Neipperg's  memorandum  was  the  adop- 
tion of  a  federal  system  which  would,  after  a 
time,  subject  Italy  entirely  to  the  domination  of 
Austria  by  completely  abolishing  all  the  small 
principalities  which  were  not  under  the  rule  of 
the  princes  of  the  house  of  Austria." 

We  shall  see  by  the  following  letter  to  her 
"  chere  Victoire  "  that  Marie -Louise,  in  search 
of  fresh  amusement,  had  taken  to  "  playing  the 
guitar,"  in  which,  according  to  her  own  admis- 
sion, she  did  not  excel.  "You  will  exclaim," 
she  writes,  '"What,  more  accomplishments!' 
But  their  number,  I  assure  you,  remains  the 
same ;  for  as  soon  as  I  take  up  one  thing,  I  drop 
another,  and  this  time  it  is  drawing  that  has 
given  place  to  the  guitar." 


of  Marie-Louise 

Thanks  to  these  accomplishments,  Marie- 
Louise  was  never  bored.  "  I  am  happy,"  she 
adds,  "in  my  little  corner,  where  I  see  a  great 
deal  of  my  son,  who  grows  better-looking  every 
day,  as  well  as  more  charming.  I  have  never 
known  him  so  fresh  and  well." 

Nevertheless  his  health  was  the  cause  of  more 
than  one  scare  during  the  winter.  "  He  has 
suffered  a  little  from  his  teeth,  which  made  him 
very  irritable ; "  then  again,  in  the  month  of 
December,  he  had  "  a  very  bad  cold,  with  slight 
fever,  and  as  croup  was  prevalent "  the  Empress 
at  once  "imagined  that  he  would  be  a  victim  to 
the  epidemic."  She  also  "  fretted  without 
cause — a  pardonable  weakness  where  a  mother 
is  concerned."  Marie-Louise  did  not  devote 
herself  solely  to  painting  and  music — she  also 
gave  literary  parties  at  Schcenbriinn. 

.There  was  much  talk  at  that  time  in  Vienna 
respecting  a  preacher,  the  Abbe  Werner  who, 
before  taking  Holy  Orders,  was  acknowledged 
to  be  one  of  the  foremost  poets  in  Germany. 
His  tragedies,  Luther,  Attila,  Cunegonde  (a 
drama  in  twelve  acts !),  Le  fils  de  la  Vallee, 

E  65 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

La  Croix  sur  la  Baltique  (in  which  the  prin- 
cipal character  is  a  ghost),  had  attained  such 
popularity  in  the  fashionable  world  that  Neip- 
perg,  who  was  always  in  search  of  some  new 
interest  for  the  Empress,  was  prompted  to  give 
her  the  pleasure  of  hearing  this  celebrated  man, 
who  by  the  power  of  his  extraordinary  eloquence 
was  able  in  the  morning  to  arouse  enthusiasm 
from  the  pulpit,  and  in  the  evening  obtain  the 
same  result  by  the  performance  of  his  produc- 
tions in  the  theatres.  More  than  once  did  the 
conscience  of  this  emotional  priest  who  from 
having  been  a  Lutheran  had  become  a  Roman 
Catholic,  compel  him  to  anathematize  the  trage- 
dies he  himself  had  written.  This  did  not, 
however,  deter  the  managers  from  continually 
producing  his  dramas  in  their  theatres.  The 
poet-priest,  now  looked  upon  as  a  second 
Schiller,  was  summoned  by  Neipperg  to  Schcen- 
briinn. 

At  the  request  of  the  Empress,  the  Abbe  read 
to  her  his  tragedy,  Cunegonde,  "  in  a  subdued 
and  sombre  voice,  with  many  expressive  ges- 
tures, and  with  an  air  of  inspiration  which,  com- 

66 


L'ABBE    WERNER. 


of  Marie- Louise 

bined  with  his  pale  and  ascetic  countenance, 
gave  him  the  appearance  of  a  fanatic." 

Bausset,  who  was  present,  says  that  as  far  as 
he  was  concerned,  notwithstanding  the  explana- 
tory gesticulations  and  the  facial  expressions  of 
the  author,  which  seemed  even  more  tragic  than 
the  twelve  acts  of  his  tragedy,  "he  did  not 
understand  a  single  word  of  what  he  said." 

Since  the  month  of  February  the  health  of 
Mme.  de  Brignole  had  become  much  worse. 
The  most  eminent  doctors  in  Vienna  were 
called  in,  but  not  one  of  them  was  able  to 
diagnose  the  malady  from  which  she  was  suffer- 
ing. Dr.  Hereau,  the  Empress's  medical  at- 
tendant, "  attributed  the  dreadful  pain  that  she 
suffered  to  acute  internal  rheumatism."  No 
remedy  was  of  the  slightest  use,  and  the 
Countess  was  soon  obliged  to  take  to  her  bed. 

M.  de  Bausset  was  also  laid  up  by  an  obsti- 
nate attack  of  gout,  accompanied,  as  usual,  by 
pain,  dyspepsia  and  irritability.  He  lacked  the 
philosophy  of  Montaigne,  who  bore  the  same 
complaint  with  such  fortitude,  consoling  himself 

with  the  knowledge  that  many  famous  men  had 
E2  67 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

died  of  it,  and  that  it  was  an  illness  which  would 
sooner  attack  men  of  genius  than  those  of 
inferior  intellect. 

Marie-Louise  had  also  troubles  of  a  different 
kind.  In  spite  of  the  formal  stipulations  of 
Article  V  of  the  Treaty  of  Fontainebleau,  Tal- 
leyrand, in  agreement  with  the  Spanish  pleni- 
potentiary, the  Marquis  de  Labrador,  desired  to 
take  the  Duchies  of  Parma,  Piacenza  and  Gua- 
stala  from  her  in  order  to  restore  them  to  the 
Infanta  Marie-Louise  of  Spain,  widow  of 
Prince  Louis  of  Parma.  As  compensation, 
they  proposed  that  the  ex-Empress  should  take 
the  Bavaro-Palatine  estates  which  the  King  of 
Bavaria  then  possessed  in  Bohemia,  and  from 
which  he  received  an  annual  income  of  400,000 
florins.  In  addition,  she  was  to  have  the  prin- 
cipality of  Lucca,  to  revert,  at  her  death,  to  the 
Grand  Duke  of  Tuscany. 

The  European  plenipotentiaries,  however, 
had  not  taken  into  account  the  stubborn  obsti- 
nacy of  Marie-Louise  who,  no  doubt,  thinking 
that  Lucca  was  too  near  the  Island  of  Elba,  pre- 
ferred to  reign  in  Parma;  nor  did  they  foresee 

68 


of  Marie-Louise 

the  earnest  support  which  she  would  receive 
from  Neipperg,  who  naturally  took  the  cause  of 
his  Imperial  mistress  very  much  to  heart. 

He  advised  Marie-Louise  to  invoke  the  pro- 
tection of  the  Czar  Alexander,  who,  with  his 
generous  and  chivalrous  nature,  received  the 
Empress's  petition  with  favour. 

For  his  part,  Neipperg  made  the  most  of  his 
influence  with  Metternich,  drawing  up  state- 
ments and  ardently  pleading  the  Empress's 
cause  with  that  statesman.  He  also  took  steps 
to  win  over  Lord  Castlereagh,  from  whom  he 
received  every  assurance  of  sympathy. 

Marie-Louise  eventually  obtained  the  duchy, 
the  object  of  her  prayers,  but  the  price  exacted 
for  the  throne  of  Parma  was  that  she  should 
give  up  her  child,  that  he  should  not  inherit 
from  his  mother,  and  that  at  her  death  the  re- 
version should  be  to  the  Infant  Don  Charles 
Louis  and  his  descendants  male.  The  Empress 
was  induced  to  accept  this  compact  in  the  belief 
that  the  companionship  of  Neipperg  at  Parma 
would  more  than  compensate  for  her  enforced 
separation  from  her  son. 

69 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

While  these  sinister  machinations  of  diplo- 
macy were  in  progress,  the  festivities  continued 
without  cessation.  On  the  evening  of  March  6, 
1815,  there  was  an  entertainment  at  Court — 
another  representation  of  tableaux  vivants,  then 
the  fashion  of  the  day.  The  principal  scene — 
the  gem  of  the  evening — represented  a  meeting 
of  Maximilian  I  with  Mary  of  Burgundy,  after 
the  picture  of  Fetter,  a  Viennese  artist.  "  The 
most  beautiful  women  of  the  Court,  the 
Duchesse  de  Sagan,  the  Comtesse  de  Fuchs, 
the  Duchesse  de  Dino,  etc.,  excited,  one  after 
the  other,  the  admiration  of  the  spectators  who 
sought  to  identify  in  each  succeeding  tableau 
the  fair  representatives  of  the  various  parts. 
The  air  of  revelry  had  to  a  certain  extent  set 
etiquette  at  defiance." 

The  audience  marvelled  at  the  beauty  of  the 
performers,  and  an  atmosphere  of  seductive 
mirth  seemed  to  fill  the  great  halls  of  the  palace. 
"  Of  a  sudden  a  dull  murmur  was  heard,"  and 
spread  like  magic.  .  .  .  He  has  left  the  Island 
of  Elba!  In  a  second,  Maximilian  and  Mary 

of  Burgundy,  the  bishop,  the  ladies,  the  knights, 

70 


of  Marie-Louise 

the  grand  mistress,  all  became  violently  excited 
and,  oblivious  of  their  roles  in  the  tableau, 
advanced  to  the  front  of  the  stage  to  question 
the  audience  :  He  embarked  on  the  2&tk  of  last 
month. — But  who  ? — Bonaparte  ? — It  is  impos- 
sible !  Such  were  the  questions  and  answers 
heard  on  all  sides.  The  performance  was  im- 
mediately stopped.  Had  a  thunderbolt  struck 
the  theatre  it  could  not  have  caused  greater 
terror. 

All  mirth  and  rejoicing  ceased  at  once,  and 
the  joyous  sounds  of  festivities  gave  way  to  cries 
of  revenge  on  "  the  disturber  of  the  world  "  who, 
with  audacious  insolence,  had  again  dared  to 
defy  the  power  of  the  united  sovereigns. 

The  news  of  the  Emperor's  landing  at  Cannes 
reached  Vienna  by  special  messenger  on  March 
7  at  four  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

Prince  Metternich's  valet  at  once  proceeded 
to  call  his  master,  who,  however,  simply  glanced 
at  the  address  of  the  despatch  and,  placing  it 
on  a  table  beside  him,  went  to  sleep  again  with- 
out misgiving.  At  about  seven  o'clock  he  broke 
the  seal.  .  .  .  He  instantly  hurried  to  the 

71 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

Emperor  of  Russia  and  the  King  of  Prussia, 
and  by  eleven  o'clock  messengers  were  gallop- 
ing in  every  direction  with  orders  for  the  Allied 
Armies  to  return  at  once.  These  Armies  were 
at  that  moment  on  the  march  home  to  their  re- 
spective countries,  whereas  Napoleon  was  about 
to  rejoin  in  his  own  country  thousands  of  men 
ready  to  do  all  and  risk  all  in  his  cause. 

It  was  Neipperg  who,  on  their  return  from 
riding  at  Schcenbriinn,  broke  to  Marie-Louise 
the  news  that  Napoleon  had  made  his  escape 
from  Elba.  It  is  not  'difficult  to  imagine  the 
line  he  suggested  the  ex-Empress  should  take. 

The  Archduke  John  was  positively  brutal 
on  the  subject,  when  discussing  it  with  his  niece, 
exclaiming  :  "  My  dear  Louise,  I  am  so  sorry 
for  you,  and  what  I  wish,  both  for  your  sake  and 
ours,  is  that  he  may  break  his  neck."  In  com- 
parison with  such  language,  the  tactful  words  of 
Neipperg  could  but  add  to  the  persuasive  power 
he  already  exercised  over  the  Empress,  and 
the  day  was  passed  at  Schcenbriinn  as  usual, 
with  billiards  and  music  after  dinner. 

On    the    following    day,    the    news    having 
72 


of  Marie-Louise 

spread,  some  of  the  French  servants  were  heard 
to  cry,  "  Long  live  the  Emperor !  "  on  learning 
which,  Neipperg  threatened  to  have  them 
hanged.  As  a  matter  of  fact  he  simply  sent 
them  to  the  frontier,  and  he  begged  Mme.  de 
Montesquieu,  the  young  Prince's  governess, 
not  to  mention  what  had  occurred. 

The  news  from  France  had  been  withheld 
from  Mme.  de  Brignole,  for  fear  that,  owing  to 
her  devotion  to  the  Emperor,  the  shock  might 
prove  fatal,  so  critical  was  her  condition  at  the 
time.  She  was  then  considered  to  be  in  ex- 
tremis,a.nd  Mme.de  Montesquiou  had  prevailed 
on  her  to  consent  to  receive  the  last  sacrament. 
At  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  March  n, 
the  Empress,  accompanied  by  a  portion  of  her 
Court,  repaired  to  the  chapel  of  the  castle, 
where  she  and  each  member  of  her  following 
was  given  a  lighted  candle.  They  all  then  in 
procession  followed  the  priest  who  was  bearing 
the  Sacred  Elements  to  the  sick  chamber.  All 
knelt  at  the  foot  of  the  bed  of  this  kindly 
woman,  whose  devotion  had  been  as  touching 
as  it  was  deep  and  sincere.  She  had  left  her 

73 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

country  to  join  the  Court  of  the  Emperor,  and 
was  still  at  this  supreme  moment  ignorant  of 
the  intense  excitement  which  then  pervaded 
Europe.  Her  pious  demeanour  and  calm 
resignation  added  solemnity  to  the  service  and, 
notwithstanding  her  being  on  the  point  of  death, 
she  displayed  a  calmness  of  mind  and  power  of 
attention  which  concealed  the  gravity  of  her 
condition. 

It  was  during  this  visit  that  Marie-Louise,  "  in 
a  low  and  peremptory  voice,  ordered  Count 
Neipperg  to  go  and  finish  a  letter"  to  Metter- 
nich,  the  purport  of  which  was  "that  she  had 
been  absolutely  ignorant  of  the  Emperor  Napo- 
leon's intentions,  and  that  she  placed  herself 
entirely  under  the  protection  of  the  Allies. 

This  declaration,  which  was  at  once  brought 
to  the  knowledge  of  the  sovereigns  and  their 
plenipotentiaries  assembled  in  Congress,  was 
evidently  looked  upon  by  them  as  a  desire  on 
her  part  that  they  should  not  hesitate  to  issue 
their  manifesto  against  the  Emperor. 

This  manifesto  was  the  famous  declaration 
of  March  13,  in  which  the  husband  of  Marie- 

74 


of  Marie-Louise 

Louise  was  likened  to  a  criminal  and  placed 
beyond  the  pale  of  nations. 

General  Neipperg  received  his  reward,  for  he 
was  appointed  "  Marechal  de  la  Cour,"  a  post 
which  included  the  privilege  of  occupying  the 
same  carriage  as  the  Archduchess.1 

Now  that  the  ex-Empress  had  become  the 
accomplice  of  her  jailers,  the  rulers  of  Europe 
no  longer  permitted  the  King  of  Rome  to  be 
surrounded  by  people  devoted  to  Napoleon. 

On  March  18,  Marie-Louise,  on  her  return 
from  Vienna  where  she  had  left  her  son  with 

1  H.  Houssaye,  p.  451.  It  was  evident  that  diplo- 
macy left  no  stone  unturned  in  order  to  make  Neip- 
perg's  influence  over  Marie-Louise  paramount,  and 
Metternich  could  but  congratulate  himself  on  possess- 
ing a  puppet  so  obedient  to  his  wishes  :  "  I  feel  sure 
that  the  relations  now  existing  between  him  (Neip- 
perg) and  the  Princess  (Marie-Louise)  can  but  lead  to 
good  results,  as  he  has  established  such  complete 
ascendency  over  her  that  she  dare  not  move  without 
the  advice  of  her  friend.  Moreover  the  Comte's 
character  is  a  guarantee  that  he  will  never  tender  any 
advice  that  would  not  coincide  with  the  wishes  of  her 
august  father."  Report  (translated  from  the  German) 
of  the  police  commissary  Gohausen,  Vienna,  March  27, 
1815,  quoted  by  Edouard  Werfheimer  (Der  Herzog  von 
Reichstadt),  p.  148,  note  vi. 

75 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

her  father  the  Emperor,  unceremoniously  dis- 
missed Mme.  de  Montesquieu  who,  in  spite  of 
all  her  prayers  and  protestations  against  such 
summary  treatment,  was  forced  to  submit.  But 
before  she  left  the  young  Prince,  on  whom  she 
had  lavished  the  most  loving  and  devoted  care, 
she  demanded,  "  besides  the  written  order  from 
the  Emperor  that  the  child  was  to  be  given  up, 
a  medical  certificate  to  the  effect  that  she  left 
the  young  Prince  in  perfect  health." 

When  he  was  taken  out  of  the  hands  of  Mme. 
de  Montesquiou,  Napoleon's  heir  was  placed  in 
charge  of  an  Austrian  governess,  the  widow  of 
General  Mitrowski,  nee  Baronne  de  Montfault, 
and  the  wife  of  Count  Scarampi,  a  Piedmontese 
gentleman.  This,  however,  was  but  a  pro- 
visional arrangement,  as  the  new  governess  was 
soon  to  be  appointed  a  lady-in-waiting  to  the 
Empress. 

Mme.  de  Brignole  was  now  at  the  point  of 
death.  The  day  before  she  passed  away,  Mme. 
de  Montesquiou,  thinking  it  her  duty  to  do  so, 
informed  her  of  the  events  then  taking  place  in 
France,  which  news,  according  to  Bausset, 


of  Marie-Louise 

brought  a  gleam  of  light  to  the  beautiful  face 
of  the  dying  woman,  who  breathed  her  last, 
offering  up  a  prayer  for  Napoleon's  success. 
Her  remains  were  laid  to  rest  in  the  Hitzing 
cemetery,  next  to  the  grave  of  another  faithful 
servant  of  the  monarchy,  Clery,  the  valet,  who 
had  witnessed  the  sufferings  and  death  of  the 
prisoner  of  the  Temple. 


77 


V 

MARIE-LOUISE   AND   NEIPPERG   IN    1815 

WHILE  Napoleon,  in  breach  of  his  word,  was 
making  his  escape  from  Elba,  Italy  became 
the  scene  of  wild  and  unnecessary  excitement. 
Murat  suddenly  left  Naples  with  50,000  men 
and  made  an  unexpected  descent  on  the 
Austrians,  in  order  to  create  a  diversion  in 
favour  of  Bonaparte. 

General  Neipperg  received  orders  to  join 
the  Austrian  army  and  oppose  Murat.  He 
therefore  left  Schoenbriinn  on  April  i,  after 
taking  a  touching  farewell  of  Marie-Louise. 
They  promised  to  write  to  each  other  and, 
indeed,  during  their  short  separation,  a  corre- 
spondence was  carried  on  between  the  Empress 
and  the  General,  which  showed  that  he,  at  any 
rate,  was  deeply  in  love.  "  His  letters,  which 
sometimes  consisted  of  eight  to  ten  pages," 
were,  so  to  speak,  records  of  his  daily  life ;  and 

78 


Marie-Louise 

Marie-Louise,  in  her  solitude  at  Schoenbriinn, 
anxiously  awaited  their  arrival,  for  they  were 
the  sole  joy  and  pleasure  of  her  life.  Sud- 
denly Neipperg  ceased  to  write  and  Marie- 
Louise  was  distraught  with  anxiety.  She  wrote 
to  her  "  chere  Victoire  "  :  ;'  The  General  has 
not  given  me  signs  of  life  for  the  last  eighteen 
days !  "  Eighteen  days  seemed  a  century  to 
the  forgetful  wife,  who  had  long  since  given 
up  writing  to  her  husband.1 

1  Marie-Louise  was  inconsolable.  On  July  28,  1816, 
she  wrote  in  German  from  Baden  to  her  father  :  "  I 
beg  you  also,  my  dear  Papa,  to  allow  General  Neip- 
perg to  return  here  and  remain  with  me,  after  he  has 
taken  his  troops  to  their  destination.  He  will  be  most 
useful  in  my  household ;  besides,  I  have  confidence  in 
him,  and  I  should  like  to  have  some  one  from  here 
(einen  Hiesigen)  with  me,  as  I  do  not  wish  to  make 
new  acquaintances.  I  wrote  to  him  a  few  days  ago 
and  he  is  quite  ready  to  give  up  the  diplomatic  service, 
if  you  order  him  to  do  so."  Quoted  by  Edouard  Wer- 
theimer,  Der  Herzog  von  Reichstadt,  p.  218,  note  5. 

It  is  a  curious  fact  that  almost  on  the  very  day  when 
Marie-Louise  complains  of  the  General's  silence,  Neip- 
perg expresses  his  anxiety  at  not  hearing  from  the 
Empress — 

(Under  cover  to  la  Baronne  Mitrowsky  at  Schoen- 
briinn.) 

"Sinigaglia,  May  2,  1815.     I  have  received  no  news 

79 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

Murat,  who  a  year  before  had  been  seduced 
from  his  loyalty  by  Neipperg,  was  now  endea- 

from  your  Imperial  Majesty  since  the  ijth  of  this 
month.  This  makes  me  very  anxious,  as  I  gathered 
from  the  last  news  your  Majesty  was  good  enough  to 
send  me  regarding  your  health,  that  it  was  not  quite 
what  it  should  be.  I  tremble  when  I  think  of  anything 
disagreeable  happening  to  your  Majesty,  whose  ex- 
treme kindness  and  angelic  nature  deserve  nothing  but 
happiness,  and  I  pray  God  daily,  even  in  the  heat  of 
battle,  for  the  well-being  of  your  Majesty.  Your 
Majesty  does  not  tell  me  whether  you  ride  much,  and 
if  so,  with  whom. 

"  I  shall  always  be  delighted  to  hear  even  the  small- 
est details  as  to  life  at  Schrenbriinn  at  the  present 
time.  ...  I  have  not  seen  a  pianoforte  since  I  left 
Schoenbriinn;  music,  like  everything  else,  is  now  laid 
aside.  Have  you  any  news  of  the  Duchess,  and  have 
you  not  received  any  threat  or  suggestion  from  that 
direction?  I  tremble  when  I  think  of  it,  although  I 
know  your  Majesty's  character  too  well  to  dare  to  think 
that  it  would  be  possible  for  you  to  give  way.  Your 
Majesty  will  always  do  very  well  if  you  are  only  guided 
by  your  own  opinions.  This  is  the  best  and  safest 
advice  that  I  can  give,  for  I  think  that  there  is  nobody 
in  the  world  who  knows  you  as  well  as  I  do,  and  who 
is  in  a  better  position  to  admire  your  virtues  and  your 
firmness  in  very  critical  moments.  '  Tout  ira  bien, 
fiance  en  Dieu. '  This  is  my  family  motto,  in  which  I 
have  blind  confidence,  which  is  not  saying  much  for  a 
man  with  one  eye.  Your  Majesty  could  not  render 
me  more  happiness  than  by  writing  as  often  as  pos- 

80 


of  Marie-Louise 

vouring  to  emulate  in  Italy  the  deeds  of  his 
brother-in-law,  Napoleon.  But  Neipperg  was 
destined  to  complete  his  ruin,  and  bring  about 
his  absolute  defeat  in  the  field  of  battle. 

In  addition  it  was  the  good  fortune  of  Neip- 
perg to  give  further  proof  of  his  zeal  and 
courage,  as  will  be  seen  in  the  desperate 
engagement  which  followed.  Murat  had  left 
Naples  on  March  17,  and  was  moving  with 
40,000  men  towards  Northern  Italy. 

Two  days  later  he  was  at  Ancona,  and  thence 
marched  to  Bologna,  where  the  populace  re- 
ceived him  with  acclamation,  and  he  pushed 
on  to  the  very  gates  of  Piacenza. 

At  Parma  he  refused  the  conditions  which 
the  Austrians  still  offered  him.  But  Nugent 
had  received  reinforcements  and  Joachim,  after 
a  sanguinary  fight,  was  compelled  to  retire  on 
Florence.  There  was  nothing  left  for  him  but 
retreat. 

General  Neipperg  took  the  small  town  of 

sible.     Firing-  has  commenced  at  my  outposts.     I  am 
going  to  join   them  on   Cortez,   my   favourite  horse." 
Quoted  by  Auguste  Fournier,  appendix,  p.  39. 
F  8l 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

Forlimpoli  by  assault  and  obliged  the  King 
of  Naples  to  fall  back  on  Cesena,  then  on 
Savignano  and  Rimini.  Arriving  at  Tolentino 
on  May  2,  Murat  resolved  to  risk  an  engage- 
ment. In  front  of  him  was  General  Bianchi 
with  the  bulk  of  the  Austrian  army.  The 
battle  was  sanguinary  and  long,  and  the  king- 
general  would  perhaps  have  won  it,  had  not 
Neipperg  with  1600  men  and  twenty  guns 
arrived  and  put  the  Neapolitan  army  to  flight. 
Murat's  troops  deserted  in  thousands.1  On 
arrival  at  Capua  Joachim  left  the  remains  of 
his  army  with  Baron  de  Carascosa  and,  losing 
his  head,  returned  to  Naples  and  presented 
himself  to  his  wife,  saying  :  "  Madam,  I  sought 
death — but  in  vain." 

1  "On  May  12,  at  Aquila,  Neipperg,  who  had  been 
entrusted  with  a  diplomatic  mission  in  addition  to  his 
military  command,  received  a  letter  from  Metternich, 
authorizing  him  to  offer  the  King  of  Naples  an  annual 
income  of  a  million  florins  if  he  would,  of  his  own 
accord,  renounce  his  throne.  It  was,  however,  under- 
stood that  before  acting  Neipperg  was  to  discuss  the 
subject  with  the  General  commanding  in  chief.  The 
two  Generals  agreed  not  to  offer  their  enemy  anything, 
seeing  that  his  overthrow  was  a  foregone  conclusion." 
Helfert,  p.  66. 

82 


of  Marie-Louise 

The  next  day  a  small  boat  conveyed  him  to 
the  Island  of  Ischia,  whence  a  merchant  vessel 
landed  him  in  three  days  on  the  coast  of  France, 
almost  at  the  very  place  where  his  brother-in- 
law  Napoleon  had  himself  so  lately  disem- 
barked. 

At  two  o'clock  in  the  morning,  on  May  22, 
Neipperg  entered  Naples  with  two  regiments 
of  cavalry  and  a  battery  of  artillery.1  His 

1  Notwithstanding  the  many  proofs  of  courage  and 
skill  which  Neipperg-  had  given  in  this  last  campaign, 
it  would  seem  from  a  letter  of  Metternich's,  recently 
commented  on  by  M.  Auguste  Fournier,  that  the 
Austrian  minister  seemed  anything  but  satisfied  with 
the  General's  diplomacy  after  the  battle  of  Tolentino. 
"Murat,"  he  wrote,  "had  been  finally  driven  back  to 
the  walls  of  Naples,  where  Bianchi  and  Neipperg,  in 
the  presence  of  an  English  general,  Lord  Burghersh, 
signed  with  Carascosa  and  Colleta  a  military  conven- 
tion on  May  20,  by  which  the  King,  whose  title  would 
no  longer  be  recognized,  was  bound  to  evacuate  the 
capital  and  fortresses."  Metternich  was  not  satisfied 
with  this.  In  a  report  of  May  31  to  the  Emperor 
Francis  he  reproached  the  negotiators,  especially  that 
diplomat  Neipperg,  for  having  negotiated  in  the  name 
of  the  allies  in  the  case  of  a  purely  Austrian  military 
success.  They  would  have  obtained  more,  he  added, 
had  they  refused  any  capitulation  and  had  then  taken 
the  King  prisoner  or,  at  any  rate,  forced  him  to 
abdicate.  The  Emperor  agreed  with  him.  "  What  has 

F2  83 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

sojourn  there  was,  however,  of  very  brief 
duration. 

At  the  conclusion  of  this  short  campaign  he 
was  sent  to  the  south  of  France  with  his  division 
in  order  to  take  up  the  government  of  the  de- 
partments of  Card,  Ardeche  and  Herault.  It 
was  now  that  his  energy,  tolerance  and  modera- 
tion enabled  him  to  solve  problems  more  diffi- 
cult for  a  soldier  than  mere  acts  of  heroism. 
Although  he  was  in  command  of  an  army  of 
Catholics,  he  protected  the  Protestants  from 
the  tyranny  of  the  rival  church,  and  succeeded 
in  reconciling  the  two  hitherto  irreconcilable 
parties.  He  displayed  so  much  suavity, 
moderation  and  justice  in  his  dealings  with  the 
people  that,  in  token  of  their  gratitude,  and 
prompted  by  a  unanimous  impulse,  they 
actually  erected  floral  triumphal  arches  in  his 
honour. 

happened  is  another  proof  of  how  little  soldiers  are 
fitted  for  carrying  out  negotiations,  and  cause  me  to 
have  serious  doubts  as  to  Neipperg's  capabilities.  In 
any  case  he  appears  to  me  to  have  acted  very  imprud- 
ently in  undertaking  important  matters  without  having 
any  aptitude  for  negotiation."  Appendix,  p.  34. 

84 


of  Marie-Louise 

But  we  must  return  to  Schcenbriinn.  Some 
days  after  the  departure  of  General  Neipperg 
M.  Montrand,  known  to  be  on  the  best  of  terms 
with  Talleyrand,  arrived  at  Vienna.  He  was 
the  bearer  of  a  letter  from  Caulaincourt  to 
Meneval,  as  also  of  a  note  from  Napoleon  to 
Marie-Louise,  in  which  the  Emperor  expressed 
a  hope  that  she  would  soon  rejoin  him  with 
their  son.  Meneval,  to  whom  the  Empress's 
feelings  were  well  known  and  who  was  quite 
aware  that  she  would  forward  the  note,  without 
even  reading  it,  to  the  Emperor  of  Austria, 
decided  to  burn  it,  having  first  consulted  Mme. 
de  Montesquiou  on  the  subject.  He  wrote  a 
long  letter  to  the  Due  de  Vicences,  describing 
the  "  principal  events  of  the  Empress's  sojourn" 
at  Schcenbriinn.  But  as  he  did  not  dare  say 
everything  he  merely  ended  his  letter  in  the 
following  manner  :  "  The  ex-Empress  is  really 
very  good,  but  under  the  influence  of 
foreigners." 

Meneval — we  repeat — did  not  dare  tell  the 
whole  truth.  Let  us  here  quote  the  words  of 
that  high-minded,  conscientious  author,  Imbert 

85 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

de  Saint- Amand  :  "  This  loyal  servant,  the  soul 
of  honour  and  fidelity,  left  no  stone  unturned  in 
order  to  bring  Marie-Louise  back  to  the  paths 
of  duty.  The  journal  which  he  kept  at  Schcen- 
briinn  in  1814  and  1815  was  shown  to  me- by 
his  son.  It  is  a  very  curious  document,  and 
contains  nothing  but  facts  without  comment, 
after  the  style  of  the  diary  of  Dangeau.  But 
by  reading  between  the  lines  one  is  completely 
enlightened  as  to  the  position  Marie-Louise 
had  taken  up  as  well  as  to  her  mode  of  life. 
General  Neipperg's  name  occurs  continually 
in  this  diary.  The  Empress's  daily  occupations 
are  very  much  the  same :  a  ride  with  the 
General,  dinner  with  the  General,  music  with 
the  General,  and,  indeed,  the  mention  of  the 
General's  name  is  monotonously  frequent.  I 
am  not  sure  that  his  influence  over  Marie- 
Louise  was  not  more  powerful  from  afar  than 
when  he  was  at  her  side.  On  April  i,  1815, 
we  find  the  following  entry :  '  The  General 
left  this  morning  at  six  o'clock  and  the  Em- 
press, who  had  risen  and  dressed  early,  was 

only  informed  of  his  departure  by  a  long  letter 

86 


of  Marie-Louise 

which  he  desired  to  be  handed  to  her.'  Here 
is  another  entry  on  April  21  :  'The  Empress 
has  received  a  long  letter  from  General  Neip- 
perg,  dated  Modena,  April  14.  As  the  soldiers 
forming  the  body-guard  at  Parma  refused  to 
march  against  the  Neapolitans  and,  as  more- 
over, some  of  them  had  the  audacity  to  shout 
"  Long  live  the  Emperor,"  they  have  been  dis- 
banded. The  Empress  is  looking  forward  to 
reward,  on  her  arrival  at  Parma,  those  who 
remained  loyal.'  Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  what 
Marie-Louise  actually  desired  most  was,  that 
the  soldiers  of  her  Duchy  should  declare 
against  her  husband.  When  on  May  2  the  un- 
fortunate Murat  who,  as  Napoleon  said,  had 
twice  led  to  the  undoing  of  France — the  first 
time  by  deserting  her,  and  the  second  by  re- 
turning to  her  too  quickly — was  beaten  com- 
pletely at  Tolentino  by  the  Austrians,  the 
person  who  most  rejoiced  at  General  Neip- 
perg's  success  was  the  Empress  Marie-Louise." 
Marie-Louise  had  now  renounced  France  for 
ever.  The  religious  processions,  organized 
with  a  view  to  intercession  for  the  successful 

87 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

issue  of  the  war  against  Napoleon,  commenced 
on  April  16  and  lasted  four  days.  Long  lines 
of  young  men  and  maidens,  singing  hymns 
and  bearing  flags  and  banners  of  all  colours, 
paraded  the  streets  and  suburbs  of  the  capital. 

The  processions  visited  all  the  churches. 
The  court  did  not  fail  to  be  present  at  these 
ceremonies,  and  the  Empress  of  Austria  endea- 
voured to  persuade  Marie-Louise  to  join  her 
prayers  with  those  of  her  family,  imploring 
Almighty  God  to  crush  her  husband.  She  had, 
however,  the  decency  not  to  accede  to  so 
humiliating  a  request.  Meneval,  who  mentions 
the  incident,  feels  bound  to  add  that  "she  ap- 
parently only  made  this  concession  in  order  to 
justify  her  refusal  to  return  to  France." 

These  processions  and  prayers  were  brought 
to  a  conclusion  by  a  sermon  delivered  by  the 
famous  Abbe  Werner,  whom  we  have  already 
noticed  as  reciting  poetry  at  Schcenbriinn.  In 
this  homily  the  eloquent  Abbe  took  up  the 
cause  of  "  Germany  and  the  German  language 
against  the  encroachments  which  France  and 

her  language  were  making  in  society."    Adding 

88 


of  Marie-Louise 

mysticism  to  his  invectives  against  France  he, 
"in  this  pompous,  empty,  paradoxical  dis- 
course, endeavoured  to  prove  his  case  by 
pointing  out  that  the  last  words  uttered  by 
Jesus  Christ  on  the  Cross,  *  Eli,  Eli,  lama 
Sabachthani '  were  not  Greek  or  Latin,  the 
languages  of  the  country  in  which  He  died,  but 
were  those  of  His  mother  tongue,  and  this,"  he 
added,  "was  the  true  example  to  follow,  etc. 
,  .  ."  The  above  extract  enables  us  to  ap- 
praise the  hysterical  mind  of  this  poet,  and  the 
merits  of  his  sermon  which,  however,  seems  to 
have  greatly  impressed  those  who  heard  it. 

About  this  time  the  news  of  the  death  of 
Madame  Neipperg  on  April  23  reached  Schcen- 
briinn.  Therese  Pola,  a  beauty  in  her  day, 
had  remained  in  .Wurtemberg  while  her  hus- 
band, Neipperg,  as  unscrupulous  as  he  was 
ambitious,  was  exercising  his  machiavellian 
talents  in  Vienna. 

She  died  after  a  short  illness,  leaving  four 
sons.  iThe  death  of  her  first  husband  had 
taken  place  but  a  few  days  before  her  own. 
One  evening  at  dinner,  Marie-Louise  herself 

89 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

announced  the  death  of  the  General's  wife,  and 
the  casual  manner  in  which  she  did  so  showed 
how  little  grief  the  sad  intelligence  had  caused 
her. 

Meneval,  probably  the  most  faithful  and 
devoted  member  of  the  suite  which  had  accom- 
panied the  Empress  to  Vienna,  began  now  to 
feel  that  his  presence  at  Schcenbriinn  was  no 
longer  required,  and  therefore  requested  that 
his  passports  might  be  given  to  him  for  his 
return  to  France.  He  was,  however,  very 
anxious  before  leaving  to  have  a  last  interview 
with  Napoleon's  son,  whom  he  had  not  seen 
for  six  weeks.  When  he  did  so,  the  beautiful 
fair-haired  boy  did  not  run  forward  to  meet 
him  as  was  his  custom,  but  "received  him 
almost  as  if  he  were  a  stranger."  When 
Meneval  asked  whether  he  had  any  messages 
for  his  father,  the  child  was  at  first  silent,  then 
gently  disengaging  his  hand  from  that  of  his 
father's  devoted  servant  he,  without  saying  a 
word,  retired  to  the  recess  of  one  of  the  farthest 
windows,  and  when  Meneval  then  approached 

in  order  to  bid  him  farewell,  the  boy,  touched 

90 


of  Marie-Louise 

by  the  old  man's  emotion,  beckoned  him  to 
the  window  and  whispered  in  a  sad  voice : 
"  Monsieur  Meva,  please  tell  him  that  I  love 
him  still." 

It  was  at  ten  o'clock  on  the  evening  of 
May  6  that  Meneval,  that  noble  character 
whose  name  will  be  inscribed  in  the  annals  of 
fidelity  and  devotion,  took  his  last  leave  of  the 
Empress.  Marie-Louise  could  not  help  be- 
traying some  emotion.  She  told  him  "  that  she 
felt  that  all  relations  between  her  and  France 
were  about  to  cease  for  ever,  but  that  she  would 
always  cherish  a  happy  remembrance  of  that 
country  of  her  adoption."  She  desired  Mene- 
val, whose  devotion  had  been  so  great  in  evil 
days,  "to  assure  the  Emperor  that  she  wished 
him  well  and  to  endeavour  to  make  him  under- 
stand the  sadness  of  her  position,"  and  the 
necessity  for  a  separation  which  would  not, 
however,  "in  any  way  affect  the  feelings  of 
esteem  and  gratitude  which  she  bore  him." 
She  gave  the  faithful  secretary,  who  was  about 
to  leave,  never  to  set  eyes  on  her  again,  a  snuff- 
box with  her  monogram  in  diamonds  as  a 


The   Marriage  Ventures 

souvenir,  and  then  hurriedly  withdrew  in  order 
to  hide  the  feelings  of  emotion  which  she  could 
no  longer  restrain."  On  the  following  morn- 
ing at  six  o'clock  Meneval  left  Schcenbriinn 
escorted  by  an  Austrian  captain  named  Karat- 
zai,  who  accompanied  him  as  far  as  Basle. 

While  the  nations  were  rushing  to  arms  in 
order  once  more  to  engage  in  sanguinary  con- 
flicts— conflicts  destined  to  be  so  fruitful  in 
historic  results — Marie-Louise  was  boring  her- 
self to  death  at  Schcenbriinn,  for  Neipperg  was 
no  longer  there  to  cater  for  her  amusement. 
The  ex-Empress,  always  in  pursuit  of  excite- 
ment and  pleasure,  made  up  her  mind  to  go  to 
Baden,  about  three  leagues  from  Schcenbriinn, 
in  order  to  take  part  in  the  distractions  of  that 
aristocratic  suburb.  The  Baronne  du  Montet, 
who  was  staying  at  that  watering-place  at  the 
same  time,  had  opportunities  of  seeing  a  great 
deal  of  Marie-Louise.  She  tells  us  that  she 
thought  her  "pretty,  as  fresh  as  a  rose,  with  a 
beautiful  figure,"  and  that  she  was  much  struck 

by  the  excessive  luxury  in  which  the  Arch- 

92 


of  Marie-Louise 

duchess  indulged.  She  also  records  in  her 
interesting  Souvenirs  how  careless  and  listless 
was  her  daily  life.  At  about  six  or  seven  in  the 
morning  the  ex- Empress  rang  for  her  maids, 
whom  she  called  "Amarantes"  on  account  of 
the  colour  of  their  dresses.  She  then  asked 
for  her  desk,  and  wrote  her  letters  in  bed  until 
about  ten  o'clock,  when  she  rose.  "  Her  morn- 
ing and  evening  costumes  were  exquisite." 
Her  maids  lavished  so  much  care  and  ingenuity 
on  their  production  that  they  were  veritable 
works  of  art.  She  breakfasted  at  eleven,  after 
which  she  spent  considerable  time  in  drawing 
and  playing  the  piano  or  guitar.  In  the  after- 
noon she  went  out  riding,  dressed  in  a  neat 
habit  with  a  flowing  scarf  round  her  waist,  and 
she  greatly  enjoyed  the  excitement  of  galloping 
over  the  roughest  ground  she  could  find — the 
danger  thus  incurred  adding  to  her  pleasure. 
One  day  the  Baronne  du  Montet  went  to  High 
Mass  at  Baden.  Suddenly,  in  the  middle  of 
the  service,  a  bustling  noise  was  heard  at  the 
door  of  the  church,  caused  by  police  officers 
pushing  back  the  crowd  in  order  to  clear  a 

93 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

passage  for  Marie-Louise.  "  She  was  dressed  all 
in  pink,  and  over  this  pink  under-dress  she  wore 
a  robe  and  spencer  made  of  beautiful  lace.  Her 
hat  was  also  pink,  and  trimmed  with  feathers  of 
the  same  colour.  M.  de  Bausset,  dressed  in 
black,  and  with  an  angry  frown  on  his  coun- 
tenance, walked  in  front  of  her,  and  she  was 
followed  by  a  servant  carrying  a  huge  silken 
bag  containing  her  prayer-book.  "  The  con- 
gregation was  scandalized  by  her  arrival  in  the 
middle  of  High  Mass  and  by  the  noise  made 
by  the  police,  especially  as  the  service  she  came 
to  attend  only  lasted  ten  minutes.  Such  conduct 
was  most  unlike  what  they  were  accustomed  to 
expect  from  the  Austrian  Imperial  family." 

The  above,  however,  is  but  a  trifling  episode, 
and  the  Baronne  du  Montet  has  recorded  in  her 
Souvenirs  an  incident  more  worthy  of  note 
illustrating  the  selfishness  and  heartlessness  of 
Marie-Louise's  nature. 

"  Bonaparte  was  a  prisoner,  and  the  news  of 
this  event  had  just  arrived."  The  Baronne  du 
Montet  went  at  once  to  Mme.  Scarampi,  lady- 
in-waiting  to  the  ex-Empress.  One  would  have 

94 


of  Marie-Louise 

thought  that  this  lady  would  at  that  moment 
have  been  with  her  mistress  endeavouring  to 
console  her  on  the  receipt  of  such  sad  intelli- 
gence. Instead  of  which,  Mme.  du  Montet 
found  her  skipping,  singing,  etc.,  "for  very  joy 
at  the  tidings"  of  Napoleon's  capture. 

.When  Mme.  Scarampi  became  a  little  calmer, 
Mme.  du  Montet  asked  whether  Marie-Louise 
had  heard  the  news.  "  I  am  now  going  to  write 
it  to  her,"  was  the  answer,  "as  the  Empress 
sees  no  one  till  eleven  o'clock."  She  then  sat 
down  and  wrote  to  the  Archduchess. 

"We  waited  for  the  answer  with  much  im- 
patience and  curiosity,"  adds  the  Baronne  du 
Montet, "  and  here  it  is,  word  for  word  :  e  Thank 
you,  I  had  already  heard  the  news  you  sent  me. 
I  want  to  ride  to  Merkenstein ;  do  you  think  the 
weather  is  fine  enough  to  risk  it  ? '  This  event, 
which  Marie-Louise  treated  so  lightly,  was  no 
less  than  Napoleon's  embarkation  on  board  the 
Bellerophon — in  fact,  his  first  step  on  the  way 
to  exile.  The  general  state  of  affairs  which  at 
this  time  was  shaking  Europe  to  its  very  founda- 
tions, had  not  the  slightest  effect  on  Marie- 

95 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

Louise.  She  had  no  other  thought  than  that 
of  amusing  herself. 

After  a  stay  of  several  weeks  at  Baden,  she 
returned  to  Schoenbriinn.  The  coalition  had 
demobilized  their  armies.  Napoleon,  a  prisoner 
on  board  ship,  was  in  mid-ocean,  and  for  the 
second  and  last  time  was  leaving  the  scenes 
of  all  his  glory  and  nearing  his  place  of 
exile. 

The  Empress's  father  was  in  Italy,  busy 
taking  possession  of  his  new  States,  and  Marie- 
Louise,  alone  with  her  son,  was  for  a  time 
spending  a  somewhat  peaceful  and  monotonous 
life  at  Schoenbriinn.  She  rode  and  drove, 
and  was  occasionally  seen  in  Vienna  in  her 
box  at  the  theatre,  attending  first  perform- 
ances. 

On  December  12,  her  birthday  was  celebrated 
"by  a  charming  concert."  It  was  by  way  of 
being  a  surprise,  although,  in  fact,  she  had 
"  known  of  it "  for  some  time. 

The  real  surprise,  however,  of  the  day — and 
she  tells  us  so  herself — was  the  sudden  arrival 
of  Neipperg,  who  had  covered  the  distance 

96 


of  Marie-Louise 

between  Venice  and  Schoenbriinn  in  three  days 
and  three  nights. 

This  blustering  lover  returned,  covered  with 
laurels  gained  in  the  last  Italian  campaign, 
and,  by  means  of  his  persuasive  manner  and 
speech,  resumed  his  supreme  influence  over  the 
Empress  and  her  actions. 


97 


VI 

MARIE-LOUISE,    DUCHESS    OF   PARMA 

THE  Congress  of  Vienna  had  definitely 
placed  her  Majesty  the  Empress  in  possession 
of  the  Duchies  of  Parma,  Piacenza  and  Gua- 
stalla.1  These  Duchies,  bounded  on  the  north 
by  Lombardy,  on  the  east  by  the  Duchy  of 
Modena,  on  the  west  by  Piedmont,  and  on  the 
south  by  the  Grand  Duchy  of  Tuscany,  covered 

1  "The  Empress  will  own  and  be  sovereign  of  the 
Duchies  of  Parma,  Piacenza,  and  Guastalla,  except- 
ing those  portions  which  enter  the  States  of  His  Im- 
perial Majesty  and  Royal  Highness  on  the  left  bank  of 
the  P6. 

"The  reversion  of  these  Duchies  will  be  decided  by 
agreement  between  the  Courts  of  Austria,  Russia, 
France,  Spain,  England  and  Prussia,  always  bearing 
in  mind  the  rights  of  reversion  of  the  House  of  Austria, 
and  of  H.M.  the  King  of  Sardinia,  with  regard  to 
them."  Article  99  of  the  Congress  of  Vienna. 

In  a  protocol  (apart  from  the  Congress  and  dated 
March  28)  it  was  agreed  that  the  Duchies  ceded  to 
Marie-Louise  should  revert  at  her  death  to  the  Infant 
Don  Carlos,  son  of  H.M.  Marie-Louise  of  Spain. 

98 


Marie-Louise 

six  thousand  square  kilometres,  and  contained 
the  five  districts  of  Parma,  Piacenza,  Guastalla, 
Borgotara,  and  Borgo  San  Donnino. 

This  region,  originally  occupied  by  the 
Romans  who  came  to  Piacenza  to  hide  the  dis- 
grace of  their  defeats  at  Tessin  and  Trebbia, 
I  and  invaded  in  the  Middle  Ages  by  barbarians, 

was  united  to  the  Duchy  of  Milan  in  1346,  only 
to  be  handed  over  to  the  Holy  See. 

In  1545  the  Pope  Paul  III  turned  it  into  an 
hereditary  duchy  in  favour  of  his  natural  son 
Pierre  Louis,  founder  of  the  Farnese  dynasty 
which  became  extinct  in  1731.  It  then  passed, 
by  the  union  of  Elizabeth  Farnese  with 
Philip  V  of  Spain,  to  the  Spanish  Bourbons, 
Charles  I  her  son,  his  brother  Don  Philip, 
and  the  son  of  the  latter,  Don  Ferdinand  de 
Bourbon. 

Ceded  to  France,  it  was  incorporated  in  the 
empire  on  July  21,  1805.  On  March  30, 
Napoleon  made  over  the  Duchy  of  Guastalla  to 
his  sister  Pauline.  At  the  same  time  he  be- 
stowed on  the  chancellor  Cambaceres  the  title 

of  Duke  of  Parma,  but  without  any  rights  of 
02  99 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

sovereignty,  and  on  the  grand  treasurer  Le  Brun 
the  title  of  Duke  of  Piacenza.  These  duchies 
in  1808  constituted  the  department  of  Taro. 

When  in  1814  the  French  retired  from  Italy, 
a  force  of  3,000  men  was  organized  at  Parma; 
it  was,  however,  soon  reduced  to  1 200.  A  com- 
pany of  National  Carbineers,  acting  as  gend- 
armes, maintained  order  in  the  interior  of  these 
States.  These  troops  were  placed  under  the 
orders  of  Colonel  Bianchi,  of  Guastalla. 

Since  the  treaty  of  April  n,  1814,  which 
assured  to  Marie-Louise  the  possession  of  these 
duchies,  the  administration  of  their  affairs  had 
been  left  in  the  hands  of  Austrian  agents,  and 
when  she  entered  into  possession  in  the  month 
of  April  1816  they  were  found  to  be  burdened 
with  considerable  debts,  while  at  the  same  time 
many  payments  due  were  in  arrears,  and  others 
were  unlikely  ever  to  be  recovered. 

The  country  was  very  fertile  and  rich  in 
cereals,  such  as  wheat,  maize,  rice,  barley,  etc., 
and  there  was  an  active  trade  in  macaroni  and 
other  farinaceous  foods  as  well  as  in  grapes. 

There  were  two  piano  manufactories  in  Parma. 

100 


of  Marie-Louise 

The  inhabitants  of  the  duchy  amounted  to  about 
450,000. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  the  arrival  of  the 
Empress  was  looked  forward  to  as  the  advent 
of  a  second  Providence,  for  the  people  were 
convinced  that  it  would  put  an  end  to  the  ills  of 
the  country,  greatly  impoverished  and  ex- 
hausted by  a  war  which  had  lasted  so  long. 
But  the  principal  reason  for  the  flattering  re- 
ception which  they  had  prepared  for  her  must 
be  attributed  to  the  fact  that  "she  was  Napo- 
leon's wife." 

On  March  7  Marie-Louise  started  for  Parma, 
accompanied  by  Neipperg,  her  first  chamber- 
lain, to  whom  she  had  relegated  her  authority, 
and  by  a  numerous  suite  of  Austrians  and 
Italians. 

They  hastened  the  journey  as  far  as  the 
Venetian  frontier,  staying  a  few  days  in 
Verona,  as  the  ex-Empress  desired  to  be  present 
incognita  at  a  performance  in  the  local  theatre. 

As  soon,  however,  as  she  entered  her  box  she 
was  recognized  by  the  audience,  and  shouts  im- 
mediately arose  from  all  sides  of  "  Vive  1'Impera- 

101 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

trice  Marie-Louise  !  "  "  Vive  Napoleon  II !"  In 
vain  did  the  police  endeavour  to  impose  silence, 
and  although  the  archduchess  tried  to  conceal 
herself  at  the  back  of  the  box,  the  cries  only 
became  louder.  Terrified,  she  left  the  theatre, 
but  the  people  rushed  into  the  passages  and 
accompanied  her  to  her  residence,  cheering  her 
all  the  way. 

It  is  certain  that  her  stay  at  Verona,  notwith- 
standing the  attractions  of  her  garden,  with  its 
soft,  balmy  air,  had  not  been  enjoyed  by  the 
ex-Empress.  She  said  as  much  to  her  "  dear  " 
Victoire  :  "  I  have  been,"  she  writes,  "more  or 
less  ill  during  my  three  weeks'  stay  at  Verona." 

On  the  other  hand,  at  Venice,  where  she  also 
stayed  a  short  time,  she  was  enchanted  with  her 
visit.  The  splendour  of  the  sky,  the  fascina- 
tion of  the  buildings  and  the  sight  of  "  so  many 
lovely  objects  "  combined  to  impress  her  with 
the  idea  of  being  wrapt  in  some  beautiful  dream. 

After  having  revelled  in  the  beauties  of 
Venice,  with  its  poetry,  art  and  matchless  atmo- 
sphere, the  young  sovereign  continued  her 
journey  without  stopping. 

102 


of  Marie-Louise 

On  April  19,  1816,  Marie-Louise  entered  her 
States.  She  crossed  the  P6  near  Castel- 
maggiore  on  a  large  bridge  of  boats  which  had 
been  constructed  for  the  occasion,  and  at  the 
head  of  which  the  municipality  of  Parma  had 
caused  two  triumphal  pyramids  to  be  erected. 

She  was  received  at  the  entrance  of  the  bridge 
by  the  high  authorities  of  the  country,  as  also 
by  the  aristocracy  and  inhabitants  who  had 
hastened  from  all  sides  to  be  present.  After 
the  exchange  of  the  usual  compliments,  Marie- 
Louise  went  to  the  chateau  of  Colorno,  that  mag- 
nificent building  which  had  been  the  favourite 
residence  of  the  last  Duke  of  Parma;  but  she 
only  remained  there  one  night. 

On  the  following  day,  April  20,  1816,  she 
made  her  entry  into  Parma  at  three  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon.  In  the  carriage  with  her  were 
the  Comte  de  Neipperg,  her  first  chamberlain, 
in  a  gorgeous  costume  embroidered  with  gold 
and  covered  with  decorations,  Count  Magawli, 
her  Minister  of  State,  and  the  Comtesse  Sca- 
rampi.  She  was  followed  by  a  procession  of 

eighteen  carriages  containing  her  chamberlains 

103 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

and  the  ladies  of  her  Court.  The  clergy  in  full 
canonicals  awaited  her  on  the  threshold  of  the 
ancient  Roman  cathedral  with  incense  and  holy 
water,  and  received  her  with  expressions  of 
profound  loyalty  and  devotion. 

The  young  sovereign,  who  was  much  touched, 
entered  the  holy  edifice,  of  which  the  vaulted 
ceiling  was  the  prominent  feature,  and  she  at 
once  fell  on  her  knees  under  the  famous  cupola 
painted  by  Correggio. 

A  solemn  thanksgiving  Te  Deum  was 
chanted,  and  at  the  same  time  rang  out  the 
peals  from  the  belfries  of  the  sixty  churches  of 
this  small  capital.  At  the  conclusion  of  the 
ceremony  the  Duchess  drove  to  the  Ducal 
palace. 

This  ancient  residence  is  of  historical  interest. 
It  was  built  and  inhabited  by  the  Farneses,  and 
was  partially  pulled  down  in  1766,  with  a  view 
to  its  reconstruction  on  large  and  sumptuous 
proportions  according  to  the  designs  of  Petitot. 

The  foundations,  however,  had  scarcely  been 
laid,  when  the  architect  was  suddenly  instructed 

to  stop  all  the  works,  and  to  improvise,  out  of 

104 


of  Marie-Louise 

what  still  remained  of  the  ancient  half-demol- 
ished palace,  accommodation  suitable  for  the 
reception  of  Ferdinand  and  his  wife  Marie- 
Amelie  on  the  occasion  of  their  marriage  in  the 
month  of  June  1769. 

Marie-Louise  remained  a  few  hours  at  the 
palace,  and  then  drove  through  the  town  in  an 
open  carriage.  In  the  evening  she  witnessed 
some  beautiful  fireworks  "which  caused  even 
the  stars  to  pale." 

Neipperg  at  once  applied  himself  to  organize 
the  household  of  the  young  sovereign.  In 
addition  to  his  position  as  first  chamberlain, 
he  allotted  to  himself  the  administration  of  the 
Court  and  the  Ducal  house,  the  ministry  of 
foreign  affairs,  as  also  the  direction  of  the  mili- 
tary department.  The  appointments  were  as 
follows — 

Private  Secretary — Le  Comte  Scarampi. 

Master  of  the  Horse — Prince  Soragna. 

Governor  of  the  Palace — The  Comte  dal 
Verme. 

Chief  Equerry — The  Marquis  de  Bergonzi. 

Great  Chamberlain,  Privy  Councillor — The 
105 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

Comte   Stefano   San  Vitale,   who   had 
already  taken  up  his  duties  at  Vienna. 
Grand  Master  of  Ceremonies — The  Comte 

Anguissola  d'Altoe. 

Four  Chamberlains — The  Marquis  Paolucci- 
Calboli,  the  Marquis  Bernardo  Labatto, 
the  Comte  Federigo  San  Vitale,  and  the 
Comte  Giuseppe  Simonetta. 
Lady-in-waiting — The  Comtesse  Scarampi. 
Lady  of  the  Court — The  Comtesse  Cavriani. 
Four  Ladies  of  the  Palace — The  Marquise 
de  Soragna,  the  Marquise  Bergonzi,  the 
Comtesse  Magawli,  and  the  Comtesse 
Simonetta. 

The  State  was  administered  by  a  Prime 
Minister,  the  Count  Magawli  who,  however, 
only  remained  in  office  for  one  year. 

The  military  household  consisted  of  a  body- 
guard, a  guard  of  honour,  and  a  company  of 
halberdiers  commanded  by  the  Comte  Borisi. 
The  command  of  the  town  was  confided  to 
Lieut.-Colonel  de  Crotti. 

At  the  same  time,  at  the  instigation  of  Neip- 

perg,  the  Duchess  founded  the  Order  of  Con- 

106 


of  Marie-Louise 

stantine  and  St.  George,  of  which  there  were 
five  classes :  the  senators  or  bearers  of  the 
grand  cross,  the  commanders,  the  "chevaliers 
de  justice,"  etc.,  and  the  equerries.  Marie- 
Louise  was  the  Grand  Mistress  of  this  sacred 
order.  The  badge  was  a  red  enamelled  cross  on 
which  were  the  initial  letters  of  the  ancient  words 
— In  hoc  signo  vinces.  In  the  centre  of  the  cross 
was  the  monogram  of  Christ,  formed  by  the 
capital  letters  X  and  P,1  with  the  Greek  letters 
Alpha  and  Omega,  signifying  that  the  cross  was 
the  beginning  and  end  of  all  things.  A 
St.  George  on  horseback  overcoming  the  tra- 
ditional dragon  formed  a  pendant  to  the 
cross. 

We  can  imagine  that  Marie-Louise,  as  she 
approached  Parma,  leaned  her  fair  head  on 
Neipperg's  shoulder,  whispering,  "  How  happy 
our  life  will  be  here,  and  how  much  more  free 
than  at  Schcenbriinn." 

Neipperg  was  most  anxious  to  make  Marie- 
Louise  happy,  and  with  that  view  he  had  him- 
self  arranged  the  distribution  of  all  the  rooms. 

X     P    IOTOS. 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

His  own  was  "separated  from  that  of  the 
Princess  by  one  room  only,  which  was  occupied 
by  a . maid  of  honour — a  young  girl  of  about 
seventeen  years  of  age,"  and  "at  night,  after 
all  had  retired,  the  General  locked  the  doors  of 
this  apartment,  taking  the  keys  away  with  him  " 
— a  convenient  manner  of  securing  peaceful  and 
uninterrupted  meetings  between  the  Sovereign 
and  her  lover. 

Neipperg,  however,  did  not  devote  the  whole 
of  his  time  to  the  pursuit  of  his  courtship  and 
to  the  pretence  of  exaggerated  passion.  Uniting 
in  himself  the  functions  of  Chamberlain,  Minis- 
ter, Field-Marshal,  Knight  of  the  Golden 
Fleece  and  Privy  Councillor  of  the  Emperor 
of  Austria,  he  continued  to  fill  the  role  at  Parma 
which  he  had  so  successfully  played  at  Vienna. 
He  did  everything  in  his  power  to  distract  the 
Duchess's  mind  from  all  reminiscences  of  the 
past.  The  police  supervision  was  such  that  no 
petition  could  be  submitted  to  the  Sovereign, 
and  no  person  could  address  her,  except  in  his 
presence.  In  order  to  divert  her  mind  from 

dwelling  on  the  past  glories  of  her  husband,  he 

108 


of  Marie-Louise 

went  so  far  as  to  send  for  numerous  pamphlets 
inspired  by  hate  and  party-spirit  in  order  to 
place  the  character  of  Napoleon  in  a  false  and 
evil  light.  These  leaflets  were  read  at  the 
ducal  palace. 

What  Austria  especially  feared,  wrote  M. 
Welschinger,  "was  the  revival  of  hopes  of 
empire.  Certain  poems  in  honour  of  Napoleon 
which  were  published  at  Parma  caused  Metter- 
nich  great  anxiety. 

"  On  June  25  he  wrote  to  Neipperg  impressing 
upon  him  to  beware  of  particular  passages  in 
them,  the  tendency  of  which  could  only  be 
hurtful  to  public  opinion,  as  they  were  likely  to 
foster  hopes  for  a  condition  of  affairs  which 
were  now  quite  incompatible  with  the  existing 
state  of  Europe." 

He  pointed  out  that  the  Court  of  Parma 
might,  by  tolerating  such  productions,  expose 
itself  to  awkward  complications  "with  those 
governments  whose  object  it  was  to  obliterate 
even  a  remembrance  of  a  period  which  had 
become  too  memorable."  It  was  impossible  to 

be  more  devoted  to  legitimate  monarchy  than 

109 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

was  Metternich.  Moreover,  he  was  possessed 
by  an  exaggerated  fear  of  anything  Bonapartist. 
Thus,  when  he  learnt  that  the  Princess  Bor- 
ghese  intended  to  spend  a  few  weeks  at  the 
Lucca  baths,  he  acquainted  Neipperg  of  the 
fact,  and  begged  him  to  arrange  that  Marie- 
Louise  should  not  meet  this  princess,  "  insignifi- 
cant a  personage  though  she  was,"  and  that  the 
Empress  should  refuse  any  request  for  an 
audience  which  she  might  make. 

As  a  matter  of  fact  the  Duchess  of  Parma 
had  not  the  slightest  wish  to  see  the  Princess 
Borghese  or  any  other  member  of  the  Imperial 
family. 

Marie-Louise  had  heard  on  July  7  that  Prince 
Louis  Bonaparte  was  about  to  take  up  his  abode 
at  Leghorn.  She  hastened,  therefore,  to  beg 
her  uncle,  the  Grand  Duke  of  Tuscany,  to  make 
him  renounce  the  idea,  for,  according  to  her,  his 
prolonged  stay  in  that  town  "would  make  all 
Europe  talk."  She  was  suspected  of  political 
schemes  and,  in  her  position,  she  was  obliged  to 
be  particularly  cautious,  especially  in  view  of 

the  future  of  her  son,  the  being  "in  the  whole 

no 


PRINCE  METTERNICH. 


of  Marie-Louise 

world  "  she  loved  the  most.  She,  perhaps,  was 
able  to  persuade  herself  that  she  really  enter- 
tained these  sentiments  of  affection,  but  her 
private  correspondence  and  the  fact  that  she 
left  Schcenbriinn,  go  far  to  show  that  these  feel- 
ings were  only  imaginary. 

Marie-Louise,  on  hearing  that  Lucien  Bona- 
parte was  at  Genoa,  again  had  recourse  to  the 
good  offices  of  the  Grand  Duke  of  Tuscany, 
with  a  view  to  persuading  the  Prince  not  to 
remain  there.  "  My  father,"  she  said,  "  strongly 
advised  me  to  avoid  any  meeting  with  the 
family.,  and  I  have  always  found  this  advice  so 
good  that  I  am  quite  determined  to  follow  it 
now.  .  .  .  All  such  visits  to  the  coasts  of  the 
Mediterranean  are  quite  enough  to  offend  the 
Bourbons  and  to  disturb  the  peace  and  quiet 
which  I  so  much  enjoy  in  the  little  State  which 
I  have  been  vouchsafed  by  fortune,  and  in 
which  I  am  absolutely  happy" 

In  truth  Marie-Louise  was  perfectly  content 
in  her  little  duchy.  But  what  she  really  loved 
in  this  beautiful  country  on  the  borders  of  Italy, 

which  still  recalled  memories  of  Petrarch  and 

in 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

Laura,1  was  Neipperg,  and  him  alone.  This  is 
proved  by  her  private  letters,  from  which  we 
gather  that,  excepting  for  her  love-affairs, 
Parma  had  no  attractions  for  her.  "  Here,"  she 
writes,  "  I  found  everything  in  disorder  and 
confusion  on  my  arrival,  and  although  I  had 
been  promised  that  I  should  be  spared  disagree- 
ables, everything  has  been  left  for  me  to  do. 
Society  is  nothing  to  speak  of,  and  I  take  care  to 
see  as  little  of  it  as  possible,  contenting  myself 
with  the  companionship  of  the  few  friends  I 
brought  with  me  .  .  .  indeed,  I  am  disgusted 
with  life  in  general,  and  I  assure  you  that  every 
time  I  visit  a  convent  I  envy  those  who  seek 
repose  there,  for  the  more  I  see  of  the  world, 

1  "  Tradition,  which  appears  to  be  well  founded ,  locates 
the  site  of  his  house  and  garden  at  Parma  at  the  spot 
now  occupied  by  the  Maison  Bergonzi,  near  the  church 
of  Saint  Etienne.  .  .  .  There  is  a  fine  sarcophagus  in 
memory  of  Petrarch  in  the  chapel  of  Saint  Agatha. 
He  was  archdeacon  and  canon  of  the  Parma  Cathe- 
dral as  well  as  canon  of  Lombez  and  Padua.  The 
ecclesiastical  dignities  are  in  curious  contrast  with  the 
poetical  reputation  of  the  beautiful  Laura's  lover.  .  .  . 
It  was  at  Parma  that  Petrarch  wrote  the  greater  part 
of  his  Africa."  U Italic,  by  Hyp.  Hostein.  Audot, 
Paris,  1833. 

112 


of  Marie-Louise 

the  more  I  become  sorrowfully  convinced  of  its 
wickedness." 

She  also  wrote  to  M.  de  Bausset  that "  society, 
there  is  none  "  at  Parma,  but  that,  luckily  for 
her,  she  had  "never  been  fond  of  going  out. 
Indeed,"  she  adds,  "my  sole  wish  is  to  spend 
my  life  quite  quietly  here,  and  I  sincerely  hope 
that  this  will  be  thoroughly  understood  in  your 
country.  My  health  is  excellent;  the  Italian 
climate  having  greatly  improved  it.  I  also 
receive  the  best  of  news  of  my  son,  who  grows 
rapidly."  She  then  expresses  herself  as  very 
well  satisfied  with  the  General,  who  has  under- 
taken the  arrangement  of  her  establishment  with 
all  the  "zeal  and  energy  that  friendship  could 
suggest." 

The  tropical  heat  of  the  summer  proved  too 
much  for  Marie-Louise  at  Parma,  so  she  made 
up  her  mind  to  spend  the  month  of  August  with 
the  General  at  Leghorn,  where  the  temperature 
would  be  moderated  by  sea-breezes. 

M.  de  Fontenay,  the  French  charge  d'affaires 
at  Florence,  saw  her  on  her  arrival,  and  felt  it 

his  duty  to  express  to  the  Due  de  Richelieu  his 
H  113 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

anxiety  with  regard  to  the  state  of  her  health, 
in  which  he  noticed  a  "great  change,"  adding, 
however,  that  the  Sovereign's  illness  did  not 
prevent  her  appearing  "  nearly  every  day  at  the 
theatre  "  with  her  chamberlain. 

Let  us  at  once  say  that  the  pallor  and  general 
appearance  of  fatigue  and  ill-health  of  the 
Sovereign  which  had  so  much  impressed  our 
charge  d'affaires  at  Florence  were  caused  by 
physiological  troubles  more  easily  diagnosed  in 
a  maternity  hospital  than  at  a  French  Consulate, 
and  afforded  ample  proof  that  the  relations  of 
Marie-Louise  with  her  chamberlain  since  their 
arrival  at  Parma  had  not  been  as  innocent  as 
could  have  been  desired. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  Marie-Louise  amused 
herself  immensely  at  Leghorn,  where  there  was 
no  Court  ceremonial  to  weary  her,  and  where 
she  was  unfettered  by  the  trammels  of  etiquette. 
She  rode  or  drove  with  her  favourite,  saw  the 
sights  by  day  and  visited  the  theatres  "at 
night." 

The  daily  baths  which  she  took  improved 

her  health  and  appearance  to  such  an  extent 

114 


of  Marie-Louise 

that  she  feared  to  return  home  "with  a  face 
like  a  full  moon/'  which  would  be  "  most  annoy- 
ing," and  she  was  never  so  happy  as  when 
remembering  she  was  young,  and  forgetting  that 
she  was  a  sovereign. 

She  left  Leghorn  on  August  18;  but  before 
returning  to  Parma,  thought  it  would  be  plea- 
sant to  make  a  stay  at  Florence  and  Bologna 
in  order  to  visit  the  museums  and  galleries  of 
those  towns,  so  rich  in  sculpture  and  painting. 

Marie-Louise  was  entirely  guided  by  Neip- 
perg,  who  prepared  a  fresh  programme  of 
amusements  for  the  young  Sovereign  every  day. 
She  was  more  in  love  than  ever  with  her  cham- 
berlain, "who,  according  to  M.  de  Fontenay, 
returned  her  devotion  with  a  chivalrous  and 
ardent  love." 

In  the  month  of  September,  when  the 
Duchess  went  to  Bologna,  she  was  the  object  of 
a  demonstration  which  must  have  recalled  her 
reception  at  Verona.  About  five  hundred 
people  surrounded  her  carriage,  shouting, 
"  Long  live  Napoleon  the  great !  Long  live  his 

unhappy  wife,  the  Empress,  our  Sovereign !  " 
H2  115 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

These  outbursts  of  enthusiasm,  and  this  spon- 
taneous reminder  of  the  past,  vexed  the  ex- 
Empress  to  such  an  extent  that  she  escaped  by 
means  of  a  secret  door  from  a  museum  which 
she  happened  to  be  visiting  and  hurriedly  re- 
turned to  her  residence.  The  greatest  proof  of 
her  profound  dislike  to  any  reminiscence  of  the 
Emperor  is  the  brutal  insolence  with  which  she 
replied  to  this  touching  manifestation  of  sym- 
pathy :  "  This  vile  populace  has  prevented 
my  visiting  all  that  I  wished  to  see  in  this 
town." 

Vile  populace  indeed  !  Marie -Louise  treated 
these  poor  people,  showing  their  enthusiasm  for 
the  memory  of  the  Emperor,  as  if  they  had  been 
but  ragamuffins,  scoundrels  and  jail-birds.  It 
is  true  that  six  of  Napoleon's  old  retired  officers 
who  were  living  at  Bologna  had  shouted, "  Your 
husband,  your  husband !  "  at  her  carriage-door. 
Nor  was  the  return  journey  without  incident. 
"  Knowing  the  road  that  she  would  take,  more 
than  three  thousand  people  were  waiting  for  her, 
determined  to  take  the  horses  out  of  her  carriage 

and  to  leave  her  alone  on  the  high  road,  but  the 

116 


of  Marie- Louise 

police  arranged  for  the  arrival  of  an  escort  of 
cavalry,  which  enabled  her  to  escape  in  the 
direction  of  Modena." 

On  September  12,  Marie-Louise  arrived  at 
Colorno,1  her  summer  residence.  It  had  been 
the  favourite  abode  of  Ferdinand  de  Bourbon, 
and  was  a  lovely  spot,  laid  out  in  gardens  and 
orchards,  with  a  miniature  lake  on  which  swans 
and  other  water-fowl  disported  themselves. 
There  were  also  extensive  hothouses  for  tropical 
plants,  and  enclosures  containing  red  and 
fallow  deer,  and  other  animals  of  various  sorts. 
Marie-Louise  delighted  in  all  this  and  seemed 

1  Colorno  is  on  the  Parma,  fifteen  kilometres  north 
of  Parma.  It  is  in  one  of  the  galleries  of  this  palace 
that  Marie-Louise  placed  the  famous  statue  of  Concord 
by  Canova,  for  which,  when  expecting  the  early  birth 
of  the  King-  of  Rome,  she  gave  several  sittings  to  the 
sculptor.  This  statue,  which  Canova  finished  in  his 
studio  in  Rome,  remained  there  until  1819,  when  the 
Duchesse  of  Parma  claimed  it,  paying  the  sculptor 
24,000  francs,  the  price  which  had  not  been  paid  owing 
to  the  events  of  1815. 

The  furniture  and  pictures  in  the  palaces  of  Colorno 
were  removed  by  V.  Emmanuel  to  his  palaces  in  Rome 
(Trolard).  The  statue  of  Concord  is  the  only  relic  of 
Colorno  left  at  Parma,  and  is  to  be  seen  in  the  Pina- 
cotheque. 

117 


The   Marriage  Ventures 

to  be  entirely  absorbed  in  "  country  amuse- 
ments." She  designed  English  gardens  and 
planted  orchards.  The  evening  occupations 
consisted  of  reading  aloud,  billiards,  chess  and 
backgammon. 

While  interested  in  all  these  country  pursuits 
the  Archduchess  remained  in  rude  health,  not- 
withstanding that  she  was  very  soon  expecting 
her  confinement.  Although  no  one  doubted  the 
nature  of  the  relations  of  the  Sovereign  with 
her  chamberlain,  there  had  hitherto  been  no 
actual  scandal.1  But  the  fact  that  the  services 

1  "  In  consequence  of  all  these  proofs  (of  her  liber- 
ality and  munificence)  the  affection  of  her  subjects  to- 
wards her  increased  and  she  was  forgiven  her  lapses 
from  the  paths  of  virtue  with  Neipperg,  because  it  was 
generally  known  that  he  was  her  constant  adviser  in 
such  matters.  Magawli  became  jealous  of  this  intim- 
acy between  the  Sovereign  and  Neipperg,  and  tried  to 
influence  Maries-Louise  against  him ;  but  he  failed 
and,  falling  into  disgrace  himself,  was  replaced  by 
the  Comte  Ferd.  Toccoli  and  the  Chevalier  Ferdinand 
Cornacchia."  Carlo  Malaspina,  p.  14.  We  should 
here  state  that  Carlo  Malaspina  (1808-1874)  was  origin- 
ally a  working  man  who,  thanks  to  his  intelligence  and 
hard  work,  became  curator  of  the  Ducal  Library.  The 
MSS.  of  this  official,  who  had  been  in  a  position  to  see 
and  know  everything,  were  not  published  until  1907. 


of  Marie-Louise 

of  an  accoucheur  were  required  at  the  Ducal 
Palace  towards  the  end  of  the  month  of  April 
1817  led  to  an  endless  production  of  jests, 
puns  and  epigrams  on  the  subject.  The  ex- 
pected birth,  which  cannot  be  said  to  have  been 
a  fit  subject  for  rejoicing,  took  place  on  May  i, 
1817.  It  was  that  of  Albertine,1  whose  advent 
and  baptism  could  only  be  mentioned  with 
bated  breath. 

(On  her  recovery,  the  Archduchess  left  Parma,, 
being  most  anxious  to  superintend  personally 
the  works  then  in  progress  at  her  summer  resi- 
dence, which  she  was  determined  should  be  one 
of  the  marvels  of  Italy. 

1  Albertine-Marie.  She  was  only  given  the  Chris- 
tian names  of  her  father  and  mother.  She  was  subse- 
quently accorded  the  title  of  "Comtesse  de  Monte- 
nuovo."  Certain  historians  have  erroneously  given  the 
summer  of  1816  as  the  period  of  her  birth.  The  date 
that  we  give,  May  i,  1817,  we  obtained  from  Zannelli's 
Dizionario  dei  Parmigiani  illustri,  and  it  is  confirmed 
by  the  epitaph  of  the  Comtesse  Sanvitali,  which  is  as 
follows:  "Died  on  December  26,  1867,  aged  50." 
Our  date  is  further  confirmed  by  a  communication  we 
received  from  the  Sanvitali  family  itself,  through  the 
director  of  the  Palatine  Library  of  Parma,  to  whom 
we  would  now  tender  our  most  grateful  thanks. 

119 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

Marie-Louise  certainly  seemed  never  to  have 
been  so  happy  as  in  the  midst  of  these  charming 
hills  and  smiling  valleys,  a  heavenly  spot  where 
she  "  divided  her  affection  between  her  little 
dog,  Lovely,  and  a  parrot,  whom  she  called 
Margharitina,"  a  present  from  her  sister 
Leopoldine. 

She  was  not  wanting  in  love  for  animals,  but 
she  forgot  her  son,  who  had  to  be  content  with 
the  frigid  affection  of  an  old  man — his  grand- 
father, the  Emperor  of  Austria. 

On  June  10,  1817,  the  Allies  had  finally 
agreed  that  the  arrangements  made  by  the  Con- 
gress on  June  9  respecting  the  Duchy  of  Parma 
should  be  maintained  as  far  as  the  Archduchess 
Marie-Louise  was  concerned;  but,  at  her  death, 
the  reversion  was  to  be  in  favour  of  the  Infant 
Don  Charles-Louis  and  his  descendants  male. 
The  King  of  Rome,  thus  disinherited,  was  to 
receive  compensation  in  the  shape  of  a  pecu- 
niary endowment.  Marie-Louise  saw  nothing 
in  this  to  grieve  a  mother's  heart,  which  is  shown 
by  the  terms  in  which  she  made  her  "  dear  Vic- 
toire"  aware  of  this  act  of  spoliation,  on  October 

120 


of  Marie-Louise 

13,  1817  :  "The  fate  and  the  future  of  my  son 
have  also  been  arranged,  and  here,  again,  is 
food  for  much  reflection.  I  confess  that  this  is 
a  source  of  much  comfort  to  me,  which  I  am 
sure  you  will  share.  As  you  are  aware,  I  have 
never  had  any  ambition  for  my  son  in  the  way 
of  crowns  or  kingdoms;  but  my  one  wish  has 
been  that  he  should  be  the  richest  and  most 
lovable  private  individual  in  Austria.  Part  of 
this  desire  was  fulfilled  by  the  treaty  of  June  10, 
and  it  is  a  great  consolation  to  me  that  I  shall 
now  be  able  to  close  my  eyes  in  peace,  with  the 
knowledge  that  when  I  am  gone,  my  son 
will  not  be  forsaken,  or  be  dependent,  for 
money,  on  any  one  in  the  world."  And  the  ex- 
Empress  adds  in  a  light-hearted  way  :  "  I  have 
now  said  enough,  I  think,  about  myself,"  as  if 
she  had  been  expatiating  too  much  on  a  subject 
that  was  scarcely  worth  mentioning. 

In  the  month  of  July  1818  Marie-Louise 
went  to  Vienna  to  visit  her  father  and  her  son, 
whom  she  had  not  seen  for  two  years.  She  took 
this  opportunity  of  making  a  pilgrimage  to 

Maria   Taferl,   whence    she   distributed   pious 

121 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

souvenirs  to  her  friends,  among  others  her 
"  dear  Victoire,"  to  whom  she  sent  an  image  and 
an  ivory  statuette  of  the  Holy  Virgin.  The 
Emperor  of  Austria  took  advantage  of  the  pre- 
sence of  his  daughter  in  order  to  determine 
finally  the  position  of  the  King  of  Rome. 
Almost  on  the  very  day  when  Napoleon,  while 
taking  leave  of  O'Meara,  was  saying,  "  If  you 
see  my  son,  embrace  him  for  me,  and  never 
allow  him  to  forget  that  he  was  born  a  French- 
man," the  Emperor  Francis,  by  a  patent  signed 
July  22,  gave  "to  Prince  Francis  Joseph 
Charles,  son  of  his  beloved  daughter  the  Arch- 
duchess Marie-Louise  " — thus  treating  the  child 
as  if  he  were  the  son  of  an  unknown  father ! — 
"  the  title  of  the  Due  de  Reichstadt,"  and  gave 
him  permission  "to  have  and  to  use  personal 
arms,  namely :  on  a  lozenge  gules  party  per 
fesse  or,  two  lions  passant  towards  the  right, 
the  one  in  chief,  the  other  in  base.  The  oval 
shield  posed  on  a  ducal  mantle  surmounted  by 
a  ducal  crown.  For  supporters  two  griffins 
sable,  armed,  beaked  and  crowned  or,  carrying 

banners  bearing  the  ducal  arms  repeated." 

122 


of  Marie-Louise 

The  King  of  Rome  was  thus  deprived  of  his 
dynastic  name,  and  henceforth  he  was  to  be 
nothing  but  an  Austrian  prince.1  Marie-Louise 
quitted  Vienna,  leaving  her  son  thus  deprived  of 
all  his  rights,  and  towards  the  beginning  of 
August  she  returned  to  her  States. 

General  Neipperg  had  long  ago  conceived 
the  idea  of  embellishing  the  capital.  Two  tor- 
rential rivers  rising  in  the  Tuscan  Apennines 
flow  through  the  States  of  Parma,  Taro  and 

1  The  Prince's  new  German  title  appears  to  have 
excited  the  suspicions  of  the  French  Government  and, 
in  accordance  with  a  decree  of  October  15,  1822,  the 
police  seized  "  a  quantity  of  bottles  of  scent  with  labels 
representing-  the  Due  de  Reichstadt  "  in  the  shops  of 
tradesmen  in  the  Rue  Royale,  Lille.  Two  specimens 
of  these  labels  have  been  preserved  in  the  archives. 
The  Prince  is  represented  "wearing  a  hussar's  uniform 
holding  his  plumed  busby  in  his  hand."  The  police 
made  another  search  at  the  premises  of  MM.  Langier, 
perfumers,  where  the  Eau  du  Due  de  Reichstadt, 
formerly  sold  as  Eau  du  Roi  de  Rome,  was  made,  and 
insisted  on  their  withdrawing  "the  plates  from  the 
engraver,  M.  Pourlier,  65  Rue  Galande."  Police 
minute  of  October  18,  1822.  Letter  from  the  Minister 
of  the  Interior  to  the  Prefect  of  Police,  October  18, 
1822.  Letter  from  Angles  Prefect  of  Police  to  the 
Minister  of  the  Interior  (Arch.  Nat,  f.  7,  6,884,  No. 
6,097). 

123 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

Trebbia.  Although  they  are  nearly  dry  in  sum- 
mer, they  frequently  rise  suddenly  and  find  their 
way  along  flat,  irregular  beds  silted  up  with 
gravel.  When  the  snows  melt  they  overflow 
their  banks,  submerging  the  low-lying  districts, 
thereby  interrupting  all  traffic. 

Neipperg  determined  to  construct  bridges 
and  embankments,  with  a  view  to  controlling 
these  devastating  streams.  He  commenced  by 
building  a  bridge  of  brick  and  freestone,  sup- 
ported by  piles,  across  the  Taro. 

The  opening  of  this  graceful,  although 
strongly-constructed  bridge,  which  was  565 
metres  long,  with  twenty  arches,  took  place  with 
much  pomp  in  the  month  of  September  1819. 
The  ceremony,  favoured  by  lovely  weather,  was 
a  brilliant  success,  and  the  Empress  assured  the 
remembrance  of  this  event  by  giving  250  francs 
from  her  privy  purse  to  four-and-twenty  poor 
young  girls  of  the  capital.  The  medal  which 
Marie-Louise  placed  in  one  of  the  corner-stones 
of  this  bridge  bore  on  one  side  the  effigy  of  her 
Majesty,  and  on  the  other  the  following  inscrip- 
tion— 

124 


of  Marie-Louise 


TARO    FIRMIUS    DENIQUE    REPRESSO. 

Neipperg  then  bethought  himself  of  building 
a  cemetery,  which  the  Sovereign  was  resolved 
should  be  "the  finest  in  Italy,  after  those  at 
Pisa  and  Bologna. 

"  A  space  of  220  yards  square  was  laid  out  and 
divided  into  four  equal  parts.  The  construc- 
tion of  the  walls,  which  were  to  be  embellished 
by  fine  porticoes,  was  commenced  in  the  month 
of  April  1820.  Marie-Louise  personally  super- 
intended the  works  and  visited  them  con- 
stantly," and  she  felt  that  this  walk  amongst  the 
dead,  although  depressing,  was  a  comfort  to  her 
soul. 

But  Marie-Louise  had  other  occupations  of  a 
less  lugubrious  nature,  for  we  learn  from  her 
correspondence  that  the  carnival  of  that  year 
was  "very  gay,  that  the  theatre  at  Parma  was 
very  good,  and  that  she  gave  parties  every 
Tuesday,"  on  which  occasions  she  herself  joined 
in  the  dances.  This  "  physical  and  moral  exer- 
cise did  her  a  great  deal  of  good,  she  was  be- 

125 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

coming  fatter."  But  in  giving  us  this  detail, 
Marie-Louise  forgets  to  tell  us  the  real  reason — 
the  expected  birth  of  another  child. 

This  did  not  prevent  her,  when  at  Sala,  from 
making  numerous  excursions  both  on  foot  and 
on  horseback,  and  when  riding  she  was 
not  afraid  of  taking  any  ditches  or  other 
obstacles  which  came  in  her  way.  The  even- 
ing was  spent  in  playing  "billiards,  back- 
gammon, chess  or  draughts."  If  we  may  judge 
from  her  private  letters,  Marie-Louise  had  never 
been  "  so  happy  or  so  peaceful  in  her  life,"  nor 
was  this  surprising  for,  according  to  most  his- 
torians, she  had  just  succeeded  in  easing 
her  conscience  by  a  marriage  with  Neipperg, 
thus  converting  their  previous  compromising 
relations  into  a  union  sanctified  by  the 
Church. 

This  morganatic  marriage,  which  seems  to 
have  taken  place  in  the  summer  of  1820,  was 
not  a  public  ceremony  accompanied  with  the 
usual  formalities  and  signatures.  How  and  by 
whom  was  the  marriage  ceremony  performed? 

What  priest  could  have  had  the  presumption  to 

126 


of  Marie-Louise 

bless  such  a  union  without  dispensation  having 
previously  been  obtained  from  Rome  ? *     Who 

1  Such  a  priest  would  be  liable  to  suspension  and 
excommunication.  "  Having  once  established  the  fact 
of  this  union  it  is  no  business  of  mine  to  ascertain 
whether  any  legal  means  were  discovered  to  render 
the  children  legitimate,  and  whether  the  union  of 
Marie-Louise  with  the  Comte  de  Neipperg  took  place 
before  the  death  of  Napoleon.  In  Italy,  where  such 
things  are  easily  arranged,  there  is  nothing  more  simple 
than  to  obtain  the  sanctification  of  such  marriages. 
Two  persons  desirous  of  marrying  make  a  declaration 
to  that  effect  before  a  priest,  who  confesses  them, 
gives  absolution,  celebrates  mass  and  marries  them, 
without  even  the  presence  of  responsible  witnesses. 
Marie-Louise  at  Vienna,  as  at  Parma,  never  ceased  say- 
ing that  she  would  do  nothing  to  obtain  a  divorce  and 
would  never  entertain  any  such  a  proposal.  This,  and 
more  especially  the  mystery  surrounding  the  births  of 
her  children,  leads  one  to  suppose  that  this  Princess  did 
not  contract  a  second  marriage  until  after  the  death 
of  her  first  husband."  Souvenirs  Historiques,  II.,  pp. 
470-471. 

"Marie-Louise  married  Neipperg  morganatically 
when  she  was  expecting  her  second  child  by  him 
(1820)."  Trolard. 

"  Marie-Louise  married  Neipperg  when  she  was 
expecting  her  second  confinement  in  1820 — an  invalid 
marriage,  as  Napoleon  was  still  living."  Comte 
Fleury,  Les  dernieres  annees  du  marquis  et  de  la 
Marquise  de  Bombelles,  p.  378,  E.  Paul.  Paris,  1906. 

The  prudent  tact  with  which  the  Almanack  de  Gotha 
mentions  the  marriage  of  Marie-Louise  is  as  fol- 

127 


Marie- Louise 

were  the  witnesses  of  this  mysterious  marriage  ? 
At  any  rate  the  fact  remains  that,  as  Napoleon 
still  lived,  the  marriage  was  invalid,  and  the 
issue  illegitimate. 

lows  :  "m.  .  .  .  1820  "  is  not  calculated  to  invalidate  the 
general  opinion  that  the  union  of  the  Duchess  of 
Parma  with  her  favourite  was  premature.  Lastly,  in 
order  that  we  may  exhaust  all  sources  of  information 
respecting  this  delicate  question,  we  should  mention 
that  Sforza  Giovanni  is  still  more  prudently  tactful ; 
he  is  content  to  say  that  the  date  of  the  marriage  is 
not  known  (in  che  anno  lo  sposasse  &  ignoto}.  La 
seconda  moglie  di  Napoleone  a  Parma,  Nuova  Anto- 
logia  1894,  S6rie  III.,  vol.  138,  p.  105. 


128 


VII 

THE    DEATH    OF    THE    EMPEROR 

AT  the  very  time  when  Marie-Louise,  with 
a  view  to  soothing  her  conscience  and  safe- 
guarding her  honour,  married  a  second  time, 
and  was  looking  after  her  trivial  mundane 
affairs,  the  exile  of  St.  Helena,  to  whom  she 
never  gave  a  thought,  was  fast  approaching  his 
end.  From  the  i5th  to  the  2$th  of  April,  1821, 
Napoleon  was  occupied  in  making  his  will. 

On  the  28th  of  the  same  month  he  confided 
to  his  faithful  doctor  Antommarchi  his  last 
wishes  for  the  Empress :  "  I  also  wish  you  to 
place  my  heart  in  spirits  of  wine,  and  take  it  to 
my  beloved  Marie-Louise  at  Parma.  You  will 
tell  her  that  I  have  loved  her  dearly,  and  that 
I  have  never  ceased  to  do  so.  You  will  tell 
her  about  all  you  have  witnessed,  and  every- 
thing connected  with  me  and  my  death." 

Shortly  before  the  end  Napoleon,  speaking 

to  General  Bertrand  concerning  Marie-Louise, 
i  129 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

said,  :c  You  may  be  quite  sure  that  if  the 
Empress  has  made  no  effort  to  lighten  my 
troubles,  it  is  because  she  is  surrounded  by  spies 
who  prevent  her  knowing  anything  of  what  I 
am  made  to  suffer.  Marie-Louise  is  virtue  per- 
sonified." 

The  Emperor,  no  doubt,  wished  to  save  ap- 
pearances before  his  death,  for  he  had  not 
forgotten  the  letter  from  Lavalette  which  he 
received  during  the  Hundred  Days.  He  in- 
deed one  day  himself  let  it  be  known  that  he 
was  not  ignorant  of  his  wife's  infidelities.  He 
went  so  far  as  to  throw  the  whole  responsibility 
on  her  own  father,  "  who  had  cast  that  scoundrel 
Neipperg  in  her  way." 

In  any  case,  when,  before  his  death,  he  was 
extolling  the  many  merits  of  Marie-Louise,  the 
dying  Emperor  had  no  idea  that  his  scrupu- 
lously virtuous  wife  was  at  that  very  moment 
on  the  eve  of  her  second  confinement. 

At  half-past  five  on  the  evening  of  May  5 
came  the  end  of  that  extraordinary  life.  In 
tempestuous  weather,  and  amidst  gusts  of  rain 

and  wind  which  caused  the  trees  and  huts  of 

130 


NAPOLEON  I. 


of  Marie-Louise 

Longwood  to  shake  as  in  an  earthquake,  the 
Emperor  drew  his  last  breath.  From  the  few 
disjointed  utterances  which  passed  the  con- 
queror's lips,  the  following  words  were  distin- 
guished :  "  My  son  ...  the  Army  .  .  .  Jose- 
phine !  "  It  was  not  Marie-Louise  who  occu- 
pied his  last  thoughts. 

The  Duchess  of  Parma  learnt  this  serious 
news  from  the  Gazette  de  Piedmont}-     But  let 


1  A  hitherto  unpublished  letter,  which  appeared  in 
the  Intermediaire  des  Chercheurs  et  Curieux,  shows 
that  she  was  not  afflicted  but  only  annoyed  by  the  sad 
intelligence.  She  would  rather  have  heard  it  other- 
wise than  from  the  Gazette,  and  the  widow  of  the 
great  man  especially  complains  of  this  procedure  and 
of  the  want  of  regard  for  her  dignity,  which  appears 
to  be  the  only  thing  which  in  any  way  affects  her. 

"DEAREST  UNCLE, 

"You  must  forgive  me  for  not  having  written 
to  you  for  some  little  time.  ...  I  am  too  well  aware 
of  the  friendship  you  have  always  shown  me  not  to  be 
certain  that  I  have  been  in  your  thoughts  in  connection 
with  the  event  which  has  just  taken  place,  and  which 
has  been  the  more  painful  to  me  because  the  news  was 
conveyed  by  the  public  prints.  I  have  done  every- 
thing which  duty  towards  my  child's  father  (of  whom 
I  have  personally  never  had  in  any  way  to  complain) 
dictated,  without  in  the  slightest  degree  running 
counter  to  political  interests,  and  my  conscience  is 
12 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

the  forgetful  wife  tell  us  in  her  own  words 
the  impression  which  the  death  of  the  con- 
queror of  Europe  made  upon  her :  "  I  confess 
that  I  was  extremely  shocked.  Although  I 
have  never  had  any  deep  feeling  for  him,  I 
cannot  forget  that  he  is  the  father  of  my  son, 
and  that  far  from  treating  me  badly,  as  the 
world  appears  to  believe,  he  has  always  shown 
me  the  greatest  respect;  which,  after  all,  is  all 
that  one  can  expect  from  a  political  marriage. 
I  was  therefore  very  much  grieved,  and  although 
there  is  reason  to  be  glad  that  he  ended  his 
unhappy  life  as  a  Christian  should,  I  would 
have  wished  him  many  more  years  of  happiness 

clear.  At  first  my  health  suffered,  but  now  I  am  begin- 
ning to  mend.  I  confess  that  what  caused  me  the 
greatest  pain  is  that  I  did  not  receive  an  official  or 
even  friendly  and  confidential  communication  on  the 
subject  from  Vienna — the  only  source  whence  the  news 
could  have  reached  me  with  absolute  safety.  I  confess 
that  I  should  have  expected  more  kindly  interest  and 
friendship  from  that  quarter.  It  was  a  cruel  blow, 
showing  as  it  did  how  little  one  can  trust  one's  own 
relations — a  blow  which  time  alone  will  be  able  to 
efface.  Forgive  me,  my  dear  uncle,  for  troubling  you 
with  all  this.  ..."  L'Intermddiaire  des  Chercheurs 
et  Curieux,  p.  269.  August  20,  1907. 

132 


of  Marie-Louise 

and  life,  provided  that  they  were  not  to  be  spent 
near  me."  What  at  this  time  seems  to  have 
troubled  her  more  than  the  death  of  the  Emperor 
were  the  appalling  heat  and  the  gnat-bites.  "  I 
have  been  so  dreadfully  bitten  in  the  face,"  she 
says  in  her  letter  to  her  "  chere  Victoire,"  that 
I  look  a  monster,  and  am  glad  not  to  be  obliged 
to  show  myself."  Nor  had  she  any  wish  to  let  the 
world  see  the  condition  in  which  she  then  was. 

The  official  announcement  of  the  death  of  the 
Emperor  did  not  reach  the  Empress  till  July 
20,  when  she  received  a  letter  from  the  Baron 
Vincent,  Austrian  Ambassador  in  Paris. 

The  Ducal  Court  went  into  mourning  for 
three  months — from  July  25  to  October  24.  A 
difficulty  now  arose  as  to  the  manner  in  which 
the  death  of  Napoleon  was  to  be  officially  an- 
nounced. Was  he  to  be  styled  Emperor — ex- 
Emperor — Napoleon — or  Bonaparte  ?  The 
question  was  how  to  find  a  formula  which,  while 
it  spared  the  natural  feelings  of  her  Majesty,  at 
the  same  time  would  not  be  at  variance  with  the 
political  principles  universally  held  with  regard 
to  the  deceased  monarch. 

133 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

Neipperg  was  not  long  in  finding  a  solution 
of  the  difficulty  in  the  following  words  :  "  Sere- 
nissimo  Consorte  delta  Augusta  Sovrana"  and 
it  was  thus  that  the  official  announcement  was 
made  of  the  death  of  his  Serene  Highness  the 
Sovereign's  Consort.  The  Dictator  of  kings  is 
now  called  a  "  prince-consort "  !  The  conqueror 
who  had  governed  the  world  and  advanced  by 
victory  after  victory  from  Cairo  to  Vienna,  and 
from  Cadiz  to  Moscow,  distributing  crowns  to 
his  soldiers  on  the  way !  Such  a  turn  of  the 
wheel  of  fortune  almost  provokes  a  smile. 

The  obituary  notice  composed  by  Neipperg, 
which  appeared,  without  a  black  border,  on 
Tuesday,  July  24,  in  the  Gazette  de  Parme,  was 
as  follows — 

"Parma,  July  23. 

"  In  consequence  of  the  death  of  his  Serene 
Highness,  the  husband  of  our  august  Sovereign, 
which  took  place  on  May  5  last  on  the  Island 
of  St.  Helena,  her  Majesty,  together  with  the 
ladies  and  gentlemen  of  the  Court,  the  house- 
hold of  the  Ducal  House,  and  the  servants,  will 
go  into  mourning  for  three  months,  from  the 

134 


of  Marie-Louise 

25th  instant  until  October  24  next  inclusive. 
The  mourning  will  be  divided  into  three 
classes  :  from  July  25  to  September  4,  deep 
mourning;  from  September  5  to  October  2, 
half-mourning;  and  from  October  3  to  24, 
slight  mourning.  The  funeral  services  will  be 
celebrated  in  the  chapel  attached  to  her 
Majesty's  residence  at  Sala." 

Metternich,  having  no  doubt  read  this  obit- 
uary notice  with  much  amusement,  wrote  on 
August  2  to  the  General,  congratulating  him  on 
the  term  "prince-consort,"  as  also  on  the  con- 
struction of  the  announcement,  both  of  which 
were  marvels  of  ingenuity. 

On  July  30  the  funeral  services  and  cere- 
monies were  performed  in  the  chapel  of  the 
palace  at  Sala,  which  was  entirely  draped  with 
black,  and  decorated  with  great  simplicity.  On 
the  sarcophagus  was  no  emblem  of  Imperial 
dignity,  no  lettering,  no  ornament  of  any  sort 
to  recall  the  past. 

Marie-Louise,  under  a  veil  which  was  cleverly 
arranged  in  order  to  conceal  her  condition,  was 

135 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

present  at  the  ceremony  in  the  Imperial  closet. 
Members  of  the  Court  and  the  entire  household 
occupied  the  other  galleries,  as  well  as  a  portion 
of  the  church.  Marie-Louise  ordered  a  thou- 
sand masses  to  be  said  at  Parma,  and  a  like 
number  at  Vienna,  with  the  strict  injunction  that 
during  the  prayers  for  her  deceased  husband, 
at  the  absolution,  the  following  formula  should 
be  used :  "  Pro  femulo  quo  consorte  Ducis 
Nostrae,"  and  she  at  the  same  time  gave  instruc- 
tions that  the  word  emperor  should  on  no 
account  be  mentioned  in  the  service.  The 
Court  of  Vienna  did  not  go  into  mourning. 
The  Duke  of  Reichstadt  alone  adopted  that 
sign  of  respect  for  his  father,  and  did  so  even 
longer  than  was  customary. 

At  the  end  of  July  Marie-Louise  went  secretly 
to  Solagrande  for  her  confinement,  and  on 
August  9,  1821,  a  son  was  born  whom  they 
called  William  Albert.  But  it  was  not  con- 
sidered decent  that  the  child  should  bear  the 
name  of  his  father.  The  Emperor  Francis 
therefore  signed  a  decree  in  which  he  stated 
that  the  Archduchess — whom  he  did  not  allude 

136 


of  Marie-Louise 

to  by  name — had  been  delivered  of  a  male 
child,  on  whom  he  had  bestowed  the  title  of 
Comte  de  Montenuovo  together  with  the  arms 
and  rank  of  the  high  nobility  which  he  con- 
tinued to  hold  till,  by  a  subsequent  decree  of 
July  20,  1864,  he  received  the  title  of  Prince  of 
Montenuovo. 

This  name — Montenuovo — is  simply  a  play 
upon  words  and  sounds,  the  name  Neipperg  re- 
sembling in  sound  to  Neuberg  (new  mountain), 
whence  Monte  Nuovo. 

In  July  1821  an  event  of  some  importance 
occurred  in  the  Empress's  household  at  Parma. 
The  Comte  de  Scarampi  was  suddenly  obliged 
to  resign  his  post  as  private  secretary  to  his 
sovereign.  The  Baronne  du  Montet,  an  inti- 
mate friend  of  the  Comtesse  de  Scarampi,  when 
mentioning  the  fact  in  her  Souvenirs,  so  rich  in 
revelations  and  confidences  of  all  sorts,  has 
given  us  a  sketch  from  nature,  so  to  speak,  of  the 
appearance  and  real  character  of  the  Empress. 

This  sketch  enables  us  to  see  events  from 
behind  the  scenes,  and  thus  to  learn  much  with 

137 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

regard  to  the  Empress's  private  life  which  is 
either  concealed  or  smoothed  over  in  official 
documents. 

"  The  Comte  de  Scarampi  was  driven  mad  " 
(we  are  quoting  Mme.  du  Montet),  "not  by 
over-work,  but  by  the  intrigues  of  this  little 
Court.  The  poor  man  was  convinced  that  the 
Court  of  Vienna  would  hold  him  responsible 
for  the  vagaries  of  Marie-Louise,  and  her  neg- 
lect of  the  government  of  the  Duchy. 

"  It  was  his  wont  to  call  on  her  every  morning 
with  his  portfolio ;  but  hardly  had  he  opened  it 
when  the  Princess  would  call  her  -parrot,  or  her 
small  monkey,  which  would  -perch  on  her  shoul- 
ders, and  she  never  ceased  talking  to,  or  -playing 
with  one  or  other  of  these  -pets  during  the  whole 
of  the  interview.  The  trial  of  the  Princess  of 
Wales  with  the  famous  green  bag  completed 
the  disturbance  of  his  mental  balance.  He 
was  always  thinking  that  he  was  being  blamed 
for  the  follies  of  Marie-Louise,  and  that  he 
was  being  called  as  a  witness  against  her. 
This  was  the  first  stage  of  his  madness,  and 
he  died  soon  afterwards." 

138 


of  Marie-Louise 

He  was  succeeded  by  M.  de  Werklein,  a  man 
of  rough  and  haughty  manner,  of  whom  we 
shall  have  to  say  a  good  deal  anon,  and  who 
was  about  to  excite  the  discontent  of  the  whole 
country  by  his  corrupt  administration. 

On  October  15,  1821,  there  arrived  at  Parma 
Dr.  Antommarchi,  the  bearer  of  Napoleon's 
dying  words  to  Marie-Louise. 

Chevalier  Rossi,  a  major  of  dragoons,  pre- 
sented the  doctor  to  General  Neipperg,  who 
received  him  with  kindness,  and  asked  him  any 
number  of  questions  concerning  the  illness  and 
the  death  of  the  Emperor.  Antommarchi  ex- 
pressed the  wish  to  convey  the  same  details  to 
the  Empress,  and  also  to  hand  to  her  a  letter 
of  which  he  was  the  bearer  from  Counts  Ber- 
trand  and  Montholon.  He  therefore  begged 
his  Excellency  to  obtain  an  audience  of  her 
Majesty.  "It  is  impossible,"  answered  Neip- 
perg. :'  The  very  news  of  your  arrival  has,  as  it 
is,  brought  her  grief  home  to  her  more  acutely 
than  ever,  and  she  is  now  sobbing  and  weeping 
and  is  not  in  a  state  to  receive  you.  I  am,  how- 

139 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

ever,  ready  to  act  as  your  intermediary,  and  I 
will  convey  to  her  all  that  you  have  said  to  me, 
and  deliver  the  letter  if  you  are  not  afraid  to 
entrust  it  to  my  charge."  Touched  by  these 
kind  words,  Antommarchi  handed  the  letter  to 
the  General,  who  left  the  room  with  it,  but  re- 
turned very  shortly,  saying,  "  Her  Majesty  has 
read  the  letter,  and  regrets  extremely  that  she 
is  unable  to  receive  you,  but  it  is  quite  impos- 
sible for  her  to  do  so.  She  welcomes  with 
delight  the  Emperor's  last  wishes  with  regard 
to  yourself;  she  must,  however,  submit  them  to 
his  Majesty,  her  father,1  before  being  able  to 
give  effect  to  them."  Neipperg  then  presented 
the  doctor  with  a  ring  from  Marie-Louise,  at  the 
same  time  giving  expression  to  the  Empress's 
gratitude  for  his  services  and  her  ardent  desire 
to  assist  his  career. 

Antommarchi,  after  thanking  Neipperg  for 

1  In  this  letter  Napoleon  begged  the  Empress  to 
grant  Antommarchi  a  life-pension  of  6,000  francs  a 
year  as  a  reward  for  his  services  at  St.  Helena,  and  to 
appoint  him  Surgeon  in  Ordinary  to  her  household  in 
the  same  manner  as  M.  1'Abbe"  Vignali  had  been 
appointed  as  almoner. 

140 


of  Marie-Louise 

his  kindness,  rejoined  the  Chevalier  Rossi. 
The  very  same  evening,  at  the  theatre,  he 
caught  a  glimpse  of  Marie-Louise  in  her  box. 
The  opera  was  Rossini's  Cenerentola.  The 
Duchess  of  Parma  seemed  in  the  best  of  spirits, 
and  appeared  to  derive  much  pleasure  from 
the  charming  music.  "  But  she  no  longer  dis- 
played that  exuberance  of  health  and  that  bril- 
liant freshness  of  which  Napoleon  had  so  often 
spoken  to  his  doctor — thin,  broken,  a  mere 
wreck  of  her  former  self." 

She  showed  traces,  not  of  the  sorrows  and 
griefs  she  had  experienced,  as  the  Emperor's 
doctor  naturally  imagined,  but  of  the  after- 
effects of  her  recent  confinement,  of  which  he 
was,  of  course,  quite  ignorant. 

A  short  time  afterwards,  Antommarchi  had 
again  occasion  to  pass  through  Parma,  and  was 
once  more  presented  to  the  Comte  de  Neipperg. 
His  Excellency  renewed  his  assurances  of  her 
Majesty's  gratitude,  and  handed  him  a  letter 
from  Marie-Louise  to  the  Austrian  Ambassador, 
in  which  she  expressed  her  "  good-will  towards 

the  doctor  who  had  attended  her  husband  to  the 

141 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

last,  and  her  earnest  desire  to  carry  out  Napo- 
leon's wishes  with  regard  to  him."  As  a  matter 
of  fact  there  is  nothing  in  the  world  which  the 
Duchess  of  Parma  troubled  her  head  so  little 
about,  and  no  pension  was  ever  accorded  to  the 
devoted  doctor. 

At  the  commencement  of  the  year  1822 
Marie-Louise  had  regained  her  strength.  Her 
private  letters  show  that  she  was  then  in  "  mar- 
vellously" good  health.  She  devoted  herself 
more  than  ever  to  organizing  amateur  concerts, 
which  took  place  every  Friday  at  the  Ducal 
Palace.  She  "rode  nearly  every  day,"  and  in 
the  evening,  after  supper,  she  went  to  the 
theatre. 

In  the  month  of  September  1822  the  kings 
who,  the  year  before,  had  destroyed  the  Neapo- 
litan Constitution  and  replaced  a  Bourbon  on 
the  throne  of  Naples  met  at  the  Congress  of 
Verona  by  the  invitation  of  Metternich  in  order 
to  complete  their  policy  by  extending  it  to 
Spain. 

Marie-Louise,  still  accompanied  by   Neip- 

perg,  and  expecting  her  third  child,  paid  a  visit 

142 


of  Marie-Louise 

to  her  father  at  Verona  while  the  Congress  was 
sitting.  There  she  met  Chateaubriand,  the 
representative  of  France,  and  the  great  writer 
has  given  us  an  account  of  his  interviews  with 
the  ex-Empress. 

"At  first,"  he  writes,  "we  refused  an  invita- 
tion from  the  Duchess  of  Parma.  She,  however, 
insisted,  so  we  went  to  her  house,  where  we 
found  her  in  the  best  of  spirits.  She  evidently 
imagined  that,  as  the  whole  world  was  then 
busying  itself  about  Napoleon,  there  was  no 
need  for  her  to  give  him  even  a  thought. 

"  In  course  of  conversation  she  made  a  few 
casual  remarks  with  regard  to  the  King  of 
Rome.  She  was  enceinte  at  the  time.  Her 
Court,  with  the  exception  of  M.  de  Neipperg, 
a  distinguished  gentleman,  gave  one  the  impres- 
sion of  decadence  and  decay. 

"  There  were  only  two  circumstances  that 
struck  me  as  being  remarkable  that  evening, 
one  was  the  fact  that  we  were  dining  with  Marie- 
Louise,  and  the  other  that  Napoleon's  widow 
was  wearing  bracelets  made  of  the  stone  of 
Juliet's  sarcophagus. 

"When  we  crossed  the  P6  at  Piacenza, 
H3 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

only  one  single  vessel,  newly-painted,  and 
flying  a  nondescript  Imperial  flag,  was  to  be 
seen.  A  few  dragoons  in  stable-jackets  and 
forage-caps  were  watering  their  horses — we 
were  on  the  threshold  of  Marie-Louise's  king- 
dom, and  this  was  all  that  remained  of  the 
power  of  the  man  who  had  pierced  the  rocks  of 
the  Simplon,  hoisted  his  flag  over  the  capitals 
of  Europe,  and  resuscitated  Italy  from  her 
many  centuries  of  prostration." 

In  conversation  with  the  Emperor's  widow, 
Chateaubriand  remarked  that  he  had  seen  some 
of  her  soldiers  at  Piacenza,  adding  that  this 
small  detachment  must  strike  her  as  very  insig- 
nificant in  comparison  with  the  vast  Imperial 
armies  of  former  days. 

Marie-Louise  replied  dryly,  "  I  never  give  it 
a  thought." 1 

Soon  after  the  return  of  the  Empress  to  her 
States,  a  daughter  was  born  who,  however,  died 
in  infancy.  All  that  is  known  of  her  is  that  she 
was  buried  at  Parma  in  the  church  of  St.  John 
the  Evangelist. 

1  Congres    de     Verone,    guerre    d'Espagne,    I.    pp. 
69-70.     Delloye,  Paris,  1838. 

144 


VIII 

THE  EMPEROR'S  WILL 

ANTOMMARCHI  had  hoped  to  be  able  to  con- 
vey the  Emperor's  heart  to  Marie-Louise,  in 
accordance  with  his  Majesty's  last  wishes,  but 
every  application  made  to  Hudson  Low  with 
that  view  was  without  effect. 

The  British  Government  approved  of  the 
conduct  of  the  Governor  in  not  allowing  any 
one  to  have  access  to  the  mortal  remains  of  the 
Conqueror.  But  they  were  not  at  all  easy  in 
their  minds  as  to  the  wishes  the  ex- Empress 
might  entertain  on  the  subject.  They  therefore 
begged  Prince  Esterhazy,  the  Austrian  Ambas- 
sador in  London,  to  approach  Metternich  with 
regard  to  this  difficult  question,  for  the  influence 
of  that  statesman  over  the  Sovereign  of  Parma 
was  known  to  be  paramount.  The  object  of 
this  was  to  obtain  from  the  Emperor's  widow  a 
declaration  of  her  desire  that  her  husband's 
K  145 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

remains  should  not  be  interfered  with.  This 
was  a  diplomatic  way  of  avoiding  the  inconveni- 
ence of  giving  a  direct  refusal  to  the  request 
that  had  been  made.  Moreover,  what  did 
Marie-Louise  care  about  Napoleon's  heart ! 

Towards  the  end  of  August,  at  the  instiga- 
tion of  Metternich,  she  wrote  a  letter  to  her 
father  to  the  following  effect :  "  From  the  infor- 
mation conveyed  to  me  by  your  Majesty's 
orders  in  the  course  of  the  month  of  July  last, 
and  from  the  news  which  has  since  reached  me, 
I  can  no  longer  doubt  that  the  Almighty  has 
brought  to  a  close  the  unhappy  life  of  my  hus- 
band, Napoleon. 

:'The  newspapers  had  anticipated  the  intelli- 
gence conveyed  to  me  by  letters  from  Vienna 
and  Paris.  They  even  went  further,  and  men- 
tioned different  suggestions  with  regard  to  the 
place  chosen  for  his  burial. 

"As,  since  1814,  no  opportunity  has  been 
afforded  me  of  taking  part  in  deliberations  con- 
cerning his  lot,  I  imagine  that  the  same  will 
obtain  now.  I  apprehend,  therefore,  that  my 

only  course  is  to  maintain  the  silence  imposed 

146 


of  Marie-Louise 

on  me  by  your  advice,  as  well  as  by  the  position 
I  occupy,  and  to  refrain  from  giving  utterance 
to  my  natural  feelings.  In  any  case,  if  after  all 
that  has  occurred  there  were  one  desire  to  which 
I  would  like  to  give  expression  on  behalf  both 
of  myself,  and  also  on  that  of  the  Due  de 
Reichstadt,  it  would  be  that  the  mortal  remains 
of  my  husband  and  his  father  should  remain 
undisturbed. 

"  I  have,  of  course,  unbounded  confidence  in 
your  Majesty,  therefore  in  making  you  aware 
of  this  my  wish,  1  at  the  same  time  authorize 
you  to  make  it  public  should  you  consider 
it  either  necessary  or  even  desirable  to  do 
so."  l 

1  In  another  letter  to  her  father,  dated  October  i, 
1821,  Marie-Louise  emphasizes  still  more  clearly  her 
indifference  as  to  what  might  be  done  with  the  Em- 
peror's mortal  remains  :  "The  conveyance  of  his  heart 
to  Parma  would,  in  addition  to  the  fresh  shock  it  would 
cause  me,  afford  a  pretext  for  the  evil-disposed  to  make 
pilgrimages  to  Parma  which,  in  my  present  circum- 
stances, would  be  most  disagreeable  to  me,  as  my  only 
wish  in  this  world  is  to  live  in  peace  and  quietness. 
I  therefore  count,  my  dear  father,  on  your  support  in 
opposing  the  suggestion  (um  diese  Sache  zu  Verhin- 
dern).  Quoted  by  Edouard  Wertheimer.  p.  304. 

K2 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

"  It  will  thus  be  seen,"  writes  M.  Welschinger 
in  his  important  and  trustworthy  work,  "  that  in 
obedience  to  her  father,  and  out  of  respect 
to  Neipperg,  the  woman  who  had  been  un- 
faithful to  Napoleon  now  refused  to  accept 
the  custody  of  his  heart,  although  it  was  his 
last  wish  that  she  should  do  so.  After  all, 
she  was  right — she  was  no  longer  worthy 
of  it !  " 

"  We  shall  soon  see  her  " — we  are  still  quot- 
ing M.  Welschinger — "in  the  presence  of  fresh 
difficulties.  On  July  16  Metternich  wrote  to 
Esterhazy  with  regard  to  the  probability  of 
Napoleon  having  made  a  will,  which  would  of 
necessity  in  due  course  be  sent  to  England. 
'  One  cannot  doubt,'  said  he,  '  that  in  such  a 
document  Bonaparte  will  have  made  allusion  to 
matters  relating  to  political  affairs.  It  will  be 
the  duty  of  the  British  Government  to  pay  par- 
ticular attention  to  this  possibility,  and  we  have 
too  much  faith  in  its  wisdom  not  to  be  convinced 
that  care  will  be  taken  not  to  disturb  men's 
minds  by  any  indiscreet  publications.  This 

consideration  bears  directly  on  any  arrangement 

148 


of  Marie-Louise 

he  might  have  made  touching  the  Duchess  of 
Parma  and  her  son.' ' 

Metternich  added — and  here  it  will  be 
noticed  that  when  money  matters  were  in  ques- 
tion, Austria  no  longer  treated  the  Emperor's 
affairs  with  contempt — that  if  Napoleon  had 
left  a  large  fortune,  the  Allies,  in  the  interests 
of  European  peace,  could  not  view  with  in- 
difference bequests  to  persons  devoted  to  his 
cause  who  might  make  dangerous  use  of 
them. 

"  M.  de  Neipperg  was,  of  course,  quite  ready 
to  meet  Metternich's  wishes  in  every  way.  On 
August  3  he  hastened  to  inform  him  that  the 
Duchess  of  Parma  would  follow  his  advice 
absolutely  with  regard  to  the  wishes  of  the 
deceased  concerning  his  heart,  etc.,  which  had 
been  buried  in  the  St.  Helena  grave  by  orders 
of  the  British  Government." 

But  the  question  of  the  money  left  by  the 
Emperor  interested  Marie-Louise  much  more 
than  did  the  arrangements  made  by  him  as  to 
the  disposal  of  his  mortal  remains. 

Napoleon,  when  he  left  Paris  in  the  month 
149 


The   Marriage  Ventures 

of  June,  1815,  deposited  about  six  millions 
of  stocks  at  the  banking  house  of  Perre- 
gaux, Laffitte  &  Co.,1  there  to  be  held  at  his 
disposal. 

By  his  will  he  left  this  amount  to  different 
persons,  including  MM.  de  Montholon,  Ber- 
trand  and  Marchand,  whom  he  at  the  same  time 
appointed  his  residuary  legatees. 

M.  de  Montholon,  acting  under  the  advice 
of  the  famous  lawyer  Dupin,  had  carried  out  in 
England  all  the  formalities  for  proving  the  will 

1  The  Perregaux,  Laffitte  &  Co.  bank,  No.  9  Rue 
du  Mont  Blanc,  had  some  years  before  lapsed  into  the 
sole  hands  of  M.  Laffitte.  The  origin  of  the  fortune  of 
this  financier  and  politician  is  well  known.  Having 
been  errand  boy  of  a  Bayonne  notary,  he  went  to  Paris 
and  sought  an  interview  with  M.  Perregaux.  Re- 
pulsed by  the  banker,  he  was  sorrowfully  retiring 
when,  seeing  something  shining  on  the  floor,  he  sud- 
denly stooped,  picked  it  up  and  pinned  it  to  his  coat. 
The  financier,  who  had  observed  his  movements,  asked 
him  what  he  was  doing :  "  It  is  a  pin  that  I  picked 
up,"  replied  the  young  Laffitte,  "it  would  be  a  pity  to 
waste  it."  "I  see  you  are  both  careful  and  econo- 
mical," exclaimed  the  observant  banker  smiling,  "come 
and  see  me  to-morrow,  I  may  perhaps  find  something 
for  you  to  do."  Thus  it  was  that  Jacques  Laffitte 
became  the  partner,  the  son-in-law,  and  the  successor 
of  M.  Perregaux. 

150 


of  Marie-Louise 

which  the  Government  of  Louis  XVI II  would 
not  allow  him  to  do  in  France,  and  he  had 
returned  from  London  with  the  will  duly 
proved. 

M.  Laffitte,  who  had  misgivings  as  to  parting 
with  the  funds,  had  also  consulted  several 
lawyers,  especially  M.  Delacroix,  and  he 
put  forward  the  following  among  other 
reasons  for  not  handing  the  money  over  to  the 
legatees : — 

1.  That  Napoleon  Bonaparte,  having  been 

deprived  of  all  his  rights  by  the  Royal 
Decree  of  March  6,  1815,  had  not  the 
power  of  disposing  of  his  fortune. 

2.  That  the  will  being  in  manuscript  (that  is 

to  say,  in  the  form  of  a  private  docu- 
ment), the  first  thing  to  do  would  be  to 
have  the  handwriting  verified  by  the 
legatees. 

3.  That  the  will  might  be  considered  null  and 

void,  as  it  was  signed  by  the  Emperor's 
Christian  name  only — Napoleon. 
While  M.  Laffitte  was  taking  all  precautions 
in  order  to  safeguard  himself,  he  was  anything 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

but  satisfied  with  regard  to  the  whole  matter. 
As  an  honourable  man  holding  the  money 
which  had  been  confided  to  him,  he  desired 
nothing  better  than  to  give  it  up,  if  he  could 
do  so  with  safety ;  as  a  banker,  however,  he  was 
obliged  to  consider  the  interests  of  his  firm  and, 
consequently,  was  not  in  too  great  a  hurry  to 
part  with  a  capital  of  some  millions,  which 
would  have  matde  an  unexpected  drain  on  the 
resources  of  the  bank.  He  saw  the  need  of 
compromise. 

On  the  other  hand,  Napoleon's  executors 
were  alarmed  at  the  difficulties  of  form  and  pro- 
cedure with  which  they  had  to  contend,  the 
antagonism  of  the  Government,  and  the  weak- 
ness of  the  judges. 

The  difficulties  were  great  on  both  sides,  and 
recourse  was  had  to  law,  with  the  final  result 
that  a  temporary  arrangement  was  agreed  to  in 
Court,  namely  to  deposit  the  securities  in  the 
Caisse  des  Depots  et  Consignations. 

Marie-Louise,  after  several  ineffectual  efforts 
to  obtain  recognition  of  the  hereditary  rights  of 
her  son,  finally  on  May  18,  1837,  abandoned  her 


of  Marie-Louise 

claim  to  the  estate  of  the  Empress  as  heiress 
of  the  Due  de  Reichstadt.1 

1  The  question  of  the  Emperor's  will  was  not  settled 
till  1854.  In  1818  the  two  hundred  million  francs  of  the 
Emperor's  private  estate,  reduced  to  one  hundred  and 
eighteen  millions,  were  paid  into  the  Treasury,  by 
order  of  the  King-.  A  decree  dated  Biarritz,  August  5, 
1854,  made  a  final  settlement  of  the  Emperor's  estate. 
"The  Budget  of  1854  is  charged  with  an  extraordinary 
credit  of  eight  millions  of  francs  with  a  view  to  carry- 
ing out  the  testamentary  directions  of  our  August 
Predecessor  the  Emperor  Napoleon  I."  Quoted  by 
Dupin,  p.  535. 

The  above  named  sum  had  been  supposed  to  be 
sufficient  to  carry  out  the  wishes  of  the  testator.  "  Of 
the  account  which  has  been  opened,  four  millions  will 
be  used  to  satisfy  the  personal  legacies,  four  millions 
for  the  legacies  to  the  Elba  battalion,  the  wounded  of 
Ligny  and  Waterloo,  as  also  to  repair  the  disasters  of 
Brienne  and  Lery  with  a  view  to  leaving  tokens  of  the 
Emperor's  glorious  memory  to  those  who  most  suffered 
from  the  two  invasions."  Quoted  by  Dupin,  p.  534. 
With  regard  to  what  the  Emperor  left  to  his  son,  the 
Austerlitz  sword,  Sobiesky's  sabre,  his  own  gold  dress- 
ing case,  decorations,  etc.,  it  is  known  that  when  the 
executors  asked  that  the  last  wishes  of  their  "master" 
might  be  carried  out,  the  Court  of  Vienna  absolutely 
refused  to  accede  to  the  request.  The  articles  remained 
in  charge  of  that  Court  until  the  death  of  the  Due  de 
Reichstadt,  when  it  was  decided  to  divide  them  among 
Napoleon's  brothers  and  sisters.  The  Austerlitz  sword, 
which  was  kept  back,  was  offered  by  Bertrand  to  Louis- 
Philippe,  and  was  afterwards  placed  in  the  Invalides. 

153 


IX 

THE    OPENING    OF    THE    TREBBIA   BRIDGE 

THE  Archduchess,  in  the  best  of  spirits, 
continued  to  enjoy  a  life  of  amusement  at 
Parma,  and  gave  juvenile  dances,  amateur 
concerts  and  masked  balls,  at  which  she  did 
not  hesitate  to  appear  in  costumes  of  the  most 
fantastic  description. 

She  herself  describes,  in  her  correspondence 
with  Mme.  de  Crenneville,  the  disguise  in 
which  she  appeared  at  a  carnival  ball  on 
February  26,  1824  :  "A  turban  of  four  colours, 
pink,  red,  black  and  gold,  and  a  white  dress 
with  flesh-coloured  tights."  This  was  her 
mourning  for  the  Emperor  Napoleon  ! 

The  Duchess  of  Parma  also  travelled  a 
great  deal,  and  towards  the  end  of  April  1824 
she  went  with  Neipperg  to  Genoa,  and  thence 
to  Palermo,  Milan  and  Naples.  She  availed 

154 


Marie- Louise 

herself  of  this  opportunity  of  admiring  the 
marvels  of  Pompei  and  of  dreaming  by  the 
waters  of  Tivoli. 

On  May  29  she  wrote  from  Naples  to  her 
beloved  Victoire :  :c  The  dear  little  thing 
(Albertina)  writes  to  me  of  her  own  accord  on 
every  post-day,  and  as  she  tells  me  all  that 
comes  into  her  head  her  letters  are  not  always 
very  well  expressed,  but  I  prefer  that  to 
studied  epistles.  They  tell  me  that  she  often 
cries  between  seven  and  nine  o'clock,  and  I 
think  she  will  become  a  most  sensitive  child, 
whereas  her  brother  (Guillaume)  is  a  good  fat 
PatapoufI,  who  does  not  take  things  so  much 
to  heart."  Marie-Louise,  however,  was  not 
entirely  free  from  anxiety  notwithstanding  all 
she  had  to  amuse  her. 

For  some  time  Neipperg  had  been  suffering 
from  "a  bad  cold."  He  was  "always  hoarse 
in  the  evening  "  and  coughed  "  horribly."  He 
had  become  "  so  thin  "  that  the  Duchess  began 
to  be  alarmed  about  his  health. 

Neipperg's  son,  Alfred,  came  to  spend  three 
155 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

months  with  his  father  and  step-mother.  He 
was,  according  to  Marie-Louise,  "a  charming 
boy,"  who  already  gave  promise  of  a  "  brilliant 
future."  The  Duchess  introduced  him  into 
society  at  Parma,  and  he  also  stayed  a  short 
time  at  Sala,  whence  he  made  an  excur- 
sion with  his  father  to  Villeja.  He  rode  fre- 
quently in  the  mountains  with  his  step-mother, 
who  was  still  a  fearless  horsewoman,  and 
she  considered  the  exercise  beneficial  to  her 
health. 

In  1825  the  Emperor  and  Empress  of 
Austria  came  to  Parma,  in  order  to  spend  a 
few  weeks  with  their  daughter.  Marie-Louise 
wished  to  take  advantage  of  their  presence  to 
open  a  bridge  over  the  Trebbia,  a  stream  which 
still  brings  back  to  memory  Hannibal's  victory 
over  Sempronius  (218  B.C.),  and  the  defeat  of 
MacDonald  by  Souvarow  (June  17,  18,  19, 
J799)-  This  bridge,  which  was  commenced  in 
1821  and  designed  by  the  architect  Concocelli, 
was  built  of  stone  on  piles,  like  the  Taro  bridge, 
had  twenty-three  arches  over  a  length  of 

156 


MARIE-LOUISE. 


of  Marie- Louise 

nearly  five  hundred  metres,  and  cost  1,200,000 
francs. 

Following  the  precedent  of  the  opening  of 
the  Taro  bridge,  the  Empress  gave  to  twenty- 
four  young  girls  a  dowry  of  two  hundred  and 
fifty  francs  each. 

Two  medals  were  struck  in  commemor- 
ation of  the  ceremony.  One  was  placed 
in  the  foundations  and  was  engraved  as 
follows — 


TREBIA 
ANNIBALIS    A.    DXXXV.    V.    C. 

LICHTENSTEINII 

A.    MDCCXXXXVI. 

SOWAROFII.    ET    MELAS. 

A    MDCCLXXXXIX 

VICTORIIS    MAGNA 

EX    DECRETO    AUGUSTS 

A.    MDCCCXXI 

PONTE    IMPOSITO 

UTILITATE    POPULOR. 

FELIX. 


The  second  showed  on  one  side  the  heads  of 
the  Emperor  and  Empress  of  Austria,  who 
were  present  at  the  inauguration  of  this  great 

157 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

work.    The  following  inscription  was  engraved 
on  the  reverse  of  the  medal — 

M.    LUDOVICA  AR.   AUS.   DUX   FARM.   FILIA 

PONTI  TREBI.E  ADDITO  AUSPICII  LAPIDEM  IM- 

MISIT  CORAM  PARANTIBUS  AMANTISS. 

A.  MDCCCXXV. 

Thanks  to  Neipperg  the  states  of  Parma 
were  well  governed,  and  Marie-Louise  ruled 
her  little  kingdom  with  credit.  Moreover, 
many  of  the  improvements  carried  out  in 
the  capital  were  due  to  her  taste  and 
munificence. 

The  fact  that  she  was  sovereign  in  her  little 
principality  outweighed  any  regret  for  the  days 
of  her  former  splendours.  In  1827  M.  de 
Lamartine,  then  French  charge  d'affaires  in 
Tuscany,  was  granted  an  interview  by  the 
Duchess  of  Parma.  She  received  him  well : 
"  I  had  the  honour,"  he  writes,  "  of  dining 
yesterday  with  her  Majesty  the  Archduchess, 
and  nothing  could  have  been  more  kind  or 
gracious  than  the  manner  in  which  she  received 
me.  This  Princess,  who  appears  more  at  her 

158 


of  Marie-Louise 

ease  in  her  small  kingdom  than  she  was  in 
days  gone  by,  is  much  more  amiable  and  agree- 
able at  Parma  than  she  used  to  be  in  Paris. 
She  is  well-read,  very  desirous  of  making  her- 
self agreeable  and  at  the  same  time  very  simple 
in  her  manners.  She  was  perfectly  natural  in 
her  conversation,  and  spoke  of  the  past  as  of 
pre-historic  times,  and  as  if  in  no  way  con- 
nected with  her  or  the  present.  The  Empress 
and  Marie -Louise  are  two  absolutely  distinct 
individualities  united  in  one  person,  and  she 
has  no  regrets,  inasmuch  as  she  is  perfectly 
content  with  her  new  surroundings.  .  .  .  The 
Comte  de  Neipperg,  her  husband,  is  at  the 
head  of  affairs.  Being  a  man  of  intelligence 
and  common  sense  he  administers  the  Arch- 
duchess's Court  as  well  as  the  government  of 
her  small  kingdom  with  great  judgment.  Al- 
though a  foreigner,  and  all-powerful,  he  com- 
mands both  affection  and  respect.  There  is 
no  doubt  as  to  his  political  opinions,  and  he 
has  hitherto  taken  care  that  Parma  should  not 
be  drawn  into  any  suggested  intrigues  for  the 

159 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

restoration  of  the  Empire.  He  remarked  to 
me  this  morning  that  '  the  position  of  French 
ministers  accredited  to  this  Court  is  at  first 
somewhat  awkward  and  embarrassing,  as  they 
are  apt  sometimes  to  think  themselves  in 
a  strange  land,  or  even  in  an  enemy's  country; 
but  when  they  get  to  know  me  it  is  not  long 
before  they  find  themselves  quite  at  their  ease. 
If  there  were  any  question  of  an  intrigue  here 
against  the  Bourbons  or  their  cause  I  should 
not  be  at  Parma,  and  the  very  fact  of  your  find- 
ing me  here  proves  that  the  sentiments  of  this 
Court  are  exactly  what  they  should  be,  for  you 
must  remember  that  I  have  served  the  Bour- 
bons before  and  that,  consequently,  their 
enemies  are  my  enemies.'  Such  language, 
coming  as  it  did  from  a  man  who  does  not 
entirely  admit  the  nature  of  his  relations  with 
his  sovereign,  may  appear  proud  and 
audacious.  It  is,  however,  none  the  less 
sincere  and  honest." 

It  is  possible  that  Lamartine  was  perhaps 

too  lenient  in  summing  up  the  character  of  a 

1 60 


of  Marie-Louise 

man  like  Neipperg.  Be  this  as  it  may,  the 
General,  wishing  to  do  him  honour  as  a  man 
of  letters,  and  respecting  his  qualities  as  an 
official,  begged  him  on  leaving  Parma,  in  the 
name  of  the  Sovereign,  to  accept  the  ribbon 
of  Commander  of  Constantinien  de  Saint 
Georges. 


161 


X 

THE  ILLNESS  AND  DEATH  OF  NEIPPERG 

MANY  years  had  now  passed  and  the  General 
had  arrived  at  an  age  when  fatigue  is  felt  and 
repose  needed.  After  ten  or  twelve  years  of 
quasi-married  life  his  passion  for  the  Empress 
had  worn  itself  out. 

Married  to  a  young  and  frivolous  woman, 
tired  of  a  perhaps  too-exacting  love,  Neipperg, 
with  irritability  due  to  age,  chafed  at  his  bit  and 
longed  again  to  draw  the  sword  which  had 
rested  in  its  scabbard  since  1815. 

He  now  regarded  his  position  of  legal  hus- 
band as  somewhat  of  a  bondage.  If  we  are  to 
believe  the  Memoirs  d'une  inconnue,his  feelings 
towards  Marie- Louise  had  not  been  for  a  long 
time  those  of  deep  affection;  indeed,  according 
to  this  unknown  authoress,  "  it  was  stated  as  a 

fact  that  Neipperg  was  in  the  habit  of  beating 

162 


Marie-Louise 

her."  This  accusation,  it  must  be  admitted, 
has  not  been  confirmed  from  any  other  source. 
"  What  is  quite  certain,"  writes  the  Baronne  du 
Montet,  "is  that  General  Neipperg,  who  had 
experienced  the  doubtful  happiness  of  being  the 
husband  of  Marie-Louise,  was  eventually  bored 
to  death  with  her.  He  was  always  bemoaning 
his  lot  (this  I  know  from  one  of  his  intimate 
friends):  he  also  regretted  his  military  career, 
looking  upon  his  life  as  having  been  absolutely 
sacrificed." 

In  becoming  a  member  of  the  Court  of  Marie- 
Louise,  he  had  to  give  up  active  service  in  the 
field,  as  well  as  his  personal  independence, 
both  of  which  have  so  great  an  influence  on  the 
character  of  a  soldier. 

In  July  1828  his  health,  which  had  been  fail- 
ing for  a  long  time,  suddenly  became  seriously 
worse.  Heart  trouble  began  to  show  itself,  and 
Doctor  Aglietti,  a  specialist,  was  summoned 
from  Vienna  to  see  him. 

This  doctor's  treatment  led  to  a  marked 
improvement  in  the  patient,  and  Neipperg 
soon  completely  recovered  and  left  for  Vienna 

L2  163 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

with    Marie-Louise    and    the    entire    Court    of 
Parma. 

In  the  month  of  September,  manoeuvres  were 
held  in  the  vicinity  of  the  capital,  in  which  Neip- 
perg,  in  his  capacity  of  Feld-Marshal,  deter- 
mined to  take  part.     At  the  conclusion  of  these 
military  exercises,  which  had  somewhat  fatigued 
him,  the  General,  accompanied  by  Marie -Louise 
and  her  Court,  left  Vienna  at  the  beginning  of 
October  on  their  return  to  Parma.     But  on  the 
journey  he  had  a  violent  attack  of  fever  and 
breathlessness,    which    necessitated    his    being 
bled.     Not  wishing  to  delay  the  Sovereign  and 
her  Court,  he  decided  to  travel  alone  and  go  by 
Turin.      His  health  becoming  worse,  he  was 
forced  to  stop  at  Aglie,  a  little  town  on  a  hill 
about  10  leagues  from  Turin,  where  Charles- 
Felix,  King  of  Sardinia,  invited  him  to  stay  at 
his   chateau.       The   General's  condition  gave 
cause  for  great  anxiety.     He  could  no  longer 
breathe  when  lying  down,  which  necessitated 
his  being  continually  in  a  standing  or  sitting 
position. 

The  Doctors  Rossi,  Moriggi   and  Gili  who 
164 


of  Marie-Louise 

were  called  in,  advised  bleeding  him  again  and, 
in  view  of  the  frequency  of  the  attacks  of 
breathlessness,  it  was  decided  to  give  him 
quinine. 

The  following  morning,  as  he  was  no  better, 
leeches  were  applied,  which  gave  real  though 
only  temporary  relief.  On  October  9  he  was 
bled  again  which,  like  the  previous  operation, 
led  to  no  good  result.  On  the  contrary,  more 
serious  symptoms  made  their  appearance. 

:c  The  lower  extremities  of  the  patient  became 
dropsical  within  a  few  hours/'  which  confirmed 
Dr.  Rossi  in  his  opinion  "that  neither  the  illness 
itself,  nor  the  fits  of  breathlessness,  belonged  to 
the  class  of  true  intermittent  maladies,  nor 
could  they  be  attributed  to  congestion  of  blood 
on  the  lungs."  They  were,  according  to  him, 
the  results  of  an  abnormal  condition  of  the 
heart  or  its  surroundings  which,  by  causing 
faulty  action  of  different  organs,  led  to  the  rapid 
establishment  of  a  state  of  dropsy. 

His  condition  became  so  serious  that  even 
rumours  of  the  death  of  the  Comte  de  Neipperg 
were  spread.  The  removal  of  the  patient  then 

165 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

became  imperative,  as  the  etiquette  of  the  Court 
did  not  permit  the  death  of  a  person  unrelated 
to  the  reigning  family  to  take  place  in  a  royal 
residence. 

On  October  12  the  General  was  moved  in  a 
litter  to  Turin.  The  swelling  of  the  legs  con- 
siderably increased  during  the  journey;  his 
breathing,  however,  became  easier. 

Nevertheless,  the  Comte  was  unable  to  lie 
down ;  he  was  forced  to  remain  in  a  sitting  posi- 
tion, and  when  he  tried  to  sleep  he  was  invari- 
ably attacked  by  fits  of  suffocation.  The  drives 
which  he  took  appeared  to  soothe  him,  but  they 
also  increased  the  swelling  of  his  legs.  It  was 
in  this  sad  condition  that  Neipperg  left  Turin 
and  returned  to  Parma  on  the  29th. 

On  his  arrival  he  had  a  violent  fit  of  expectora- 
tion, which  seemed  at  once  to  improve  his  con- 
dition; the  fits  of  breathlessness  became  less 
frequent,  and  the  dropsy  in  his  legs  diminished 
considerably,  but  very  soon  the  bad  symptoms 
returned  in  all  their  intensity,  and  the  General 
was  only  kept  alive  by  being  bled,  and  his  legs 

nnd  feet  being  tapped. 

1 66 


of  Marie-Louise 

On  December  5,  1828,  he  became  much 
worse.  Professor  Tomasini  of  Bologna  and 
Professor  Aglieti  of  Venice  were  then  called  in 
and,  after  having  tried  bleeding,  quinine,  etc., 
without  success  they,  as  a  last  resource,  pre- 
scribed extract  of  soot — a  remedy  then  used  as 
a  specific  against  fever,  etc.  All  hope  of  saving 
the  General  had  now  vanished.  Marie-Louise, 
utterly  prostrated,  and  convinced  that  the  result 
would  be  fatal,  wrote  the  following  despairing 
letter  to  her  father :  "  This  life  seems  to  be 
killing  me  also  by  degrees;  one  day  follows 
another,  bringing  with  it  the  same  misery  and 
despair,  for  with  the  dawn  comes  no  consolation, 
and  we  are  always  afraid  of  restlesness  at  night. 
My  head  is  in  a  dreadful  state,  and  the  slightest 
occupation  produces  severe  headaches,  and  my 
poor  brain  seems  as  weak  and  stupid  as  though 
I  were  recovering  from  a  very  serious  illness." 

Nevertheless,  in  the  month  of  January  1829 
a  great  improvement  was  visible.  It  was,  how- 
ever, but  the  pale  flicker  of  an  expiring  flame. 

"The  poor  General," wrote  Marie-Louise  on 

January  20,  "had  become  so  much  better  for 

167 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

the  last  ten  days,  and  his  breathing  had  become 
so  good  that  we  really  hoped  that  if  he  was  not 
actually  convalescent,  he  was  at  any  rate  nearly 
so.  But  since  yesterday  he  has  had  a  relapse 
which,  though  without  a  return  of  fever,  has 
brought  back  the  oppression  on  his  chest;  and 
although  better  this  morning,  we  are  again  dis- 
couraged and  anxious,  fearing  that  some  ac- 
cumulation of  water  may  be  forming,  or  that 
the  organic  obstruction  which  they  fear  exists 
may  have  grown  to  an  extent  that  it  will  be  im- 
possible to  control.  What  a  sad  life !  Only 
those  who,  like  yourself,  my  dear  friend, 
know  what  it  is  to  tremble  for  the  lives  of 
those  one  loves,  can  really  appreciate  what  my 
feelings  must  be  at  this  dreadful  moment.  I 
am  sure  I  do  not  know  that  it  would  not  be 
better  that  the  Almighty  should  take  me, 
than  that  I  should  continue  to  live  my  present 
life." x  Nevertheless,  the  General  did  not 

1  Letter  to  Mme.  de  Crenneville,  Parma,  January 
20,  1829.  After  such  an  outburst  of  grief  one  can 
scarcely  credit  the  statement  of  a  certain  historian 
who  asserts  that,  "On  the  evening  before  Neipperg's 
death,  knowing,  as  every  one  knew,  that  he  was  in 

1 68 


of  Marie-Louise 

realize  the  gravity  of  his  illness.  The  changes 
from  relief  to  still  more  painful  suffering  fol- 
lowed each  other  in  depressing  sequence. 

On  February  20  Neipperg  was  at  the  point  of 
death.  The  patient  fell  into  a  state  of  utter  ex- 
haustion— he  was  scarcely  able  to  open  his  eyes 
or  even  murmur  a  few  words.  It  was  the  end. 

After  forty-eight  hours  of  coma,  Neipperg 
died  at  11.30  on  the  morning  of  February  22, 
1829,  and  by  his  death  Marie-Louise  lost  "the 
best  husband,  the  most  faithful  friend,  and  all 
her  worldly  happiness." 

The  General,  during  the  thirteen  years  that 
he  had  managed  her  affairs  and  through  whose 
hands  millions  had  passed,  left  in  his  writing- 
table  but  a  "few  louis"  as  an  inheritance  for 
his  children !  This  paltry  sum,  and  a  card- 
board box  containing  the  principal  decorations 
of  Christian  countries,  were  the  net  result  of  the 
greatness  to  which  he  had  attained. 

Marie-Louise  gave  Neipperg  a  most  mag- 
nificent funeral,  with  all  the  splendour  of  a  great 

extremis,  she  appeared  at  the  theatre."  Histoire  de 
NapoUon  II,  Roi  de  Rome.  Par  un  ancien  diplomate, 
p.  115.  E.  Pick,  Paris,  1853. 

169 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

political  event.  On  February  25  the  General's 
remains  were  borne  with  great  solemnity  from 
the  ducal  chapel  to  the  church  of  La  Steccata. 
To  the  rolling  of  muffled  drums,  the  sad  pro- 
cession crossed  the  town  amidst  the  profound 
and  respectful  silence  of  the  crowd.  First  came 
a  squadron  of  dragoons  and  two  batteries  of 
artillery;  then  followed  a  company  of  the 
regiment  "  Marie-Louise,"  a  military  band, 
all  the  clergy  of  the  capital,  the  Bishop  of 
Parma  and,  immediately  in  front  of  the  funeral 
car,  the  General's  charger  led  by  a  groom.  On 
either  side  of  the  car,  wrhich  was  draped  with 
black,  walked  thirty-six  footmen  bearing 
torches,  who  were  followed  by  the  General's 
aide-de-camp,  the  dignitaries  of  the  Court,  the 
magistrates,  the  notables  of  the  town,  and  the 
entire  garrison  of  the  capital.  On  arrival  at  the 
church  the  procession  halted  and  the  clergy 
chanted  the  De  Projundis  while  twelve  hal- 
berdiers raised  the  coffin  and  carried  it  on  their 
shoulders  into  the  interior  of  the  holy  edifice. 
The  funeral  service  took  place  on  the  following 
day  at  eleven  o'clock,  in  the  midst  of  general 

170 


of  Marie-Louise 

mourning.  All  the  clergy  of  the  capital  were 
present,  and  the  absolution  was  pronounced  by 
the  Bishop  of  Parma,  the  solemnity  being 
brought  to  a  close,  according  to  German  custom, 
by  the  sacrifice  of  a  charger  to  the  spirit  of  the 
departed  warrior.  The  Duchess  of  Parma,  as 
a  modern  Artemis,  erected  on  the  tomb  of  her 
husband  a  monument  in  Carrara  marble,  the 
work  of  the  Florentine  sculptor  Lorenzo  Bar- 
tolini,  at  a  cost  of  120,000  francs.  This  monu- 
ment, originally  erected  in  the  Church  of  St. 
Paul,  was  removed  to  that  of  the  Steccata  on 
the  conversion  of  the  ancient  ducal  chapel  into 
a  depot  for  electric  light.  Marie-Louise  seemed 
to  have  buried  her  heart  for  ever  in  the  tomb  of 
her  second  husband.1 

1  The  moment  is  opportune  for  the  following 
question  :  "  Was  the  Due  de  Reichstadt  aware  of  the 
relations  between  his  mother  and  Neipperg  before  their 
marriage,  and.  was  he  aware  of  the  marriage  itself? 
M.  Edouard  Wertheimer,  who  was  fortunate  enough  to 
be  able  to  examine  the  State  archives  as  well  as  the 
correspondence  of  statesmen  and  of  the  Prince's  tutors, 
writes  as  follows  :  "  The  Due  de  Reichstadt  has  in  no 
way  given  reason  to  suppose  that  he  had  the  faintest 
idea  of  the  relations  between  his  mother  and  Neip- 
perg and  that  he  accepted  the  situation  in  silence.  It 

I/I 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

The    death    of    Neipperg    was    generally 
regretted     in     the     country.      His     affability, 

is  certain  that  those  about  him  never  divulged  the  secret 
of  this  liaison,  while  others,  who  might  have  been 
cognizant  of  it,  had  no  opportunities  of  communicating 
with  him.  There  is  every  reason  to  suppose  that  good 
care  was  taken  to  keep  him  in  the  dark  with  regard 
to  the  marriage  of  the  Empress  with  the  Comte  de 
Neipperg.  In  any  case,  whether  he  knew  of  it  or  not, 
it  is  quite  certain  that,  considering  the  great  admira- 
tion he  professed  for  his  father,  the  exaggerated  grief 
of  his  mother  on  the  death  of  her  second  husband  must 
have  caused  him  profound  sorrow  "  (p.  412). 

When  the  General  died  Metternich,  in  a  minute  dated 
February  28,  1829,  raised  the  question  as  to  whether 
it  would  be  wise  to  make  public  the  marriage  of  Marie- 
Louise  and  Neipperg:  "In  my  opinion,"  he  wrote,  "it 
would  be  wise  to  do  so.  There  are  several  reasons  in 
the  interests  of  the  Empress  as  well  as  in  those  of  the 
two  surviving  children  which  appear  to  demand  it." 
It  was  also  the  fervent  wish  of  Marie-Louise,  adds 
M.  Wertheimer,  to  whom  we  are  indebted  for  an  in- 
sight into  these  valuable  documents.  On  March  18  she 
wrote  from  Parma  to  the  Emperor  :  "  As  regards  the 
announcement  of  my  marriage  with  the  late  Comte  de 
Neipperg,  I  leave  myself  entirely  in  your  hands. 
Whatever  you  decide  is  sure  to  be  right,  but  I  must 
add  that  the  publication  would  be  most  agreeable  to 
me  (dass  ich  nichts  als  zufrieden  sein  kann),  and  that 
I  am  certain  the  General  would  have  wished  it."  E. 
Wertheimer,  p.  413,  note  2. 

172 


of  Marie- Louise 

friendliness  and  generosity,  together  with  his 
open,  cordial  and  seductive  manners,  had  made 
him  most  popular  and  gained  for  him  the 
universal  sympathies  of  the  duchies  of  which 
he  was  not  only  the  administrator  but,  in  fact, 
the  ruler. 

On  a  certain  occasion  a  disorderly  mob 
assembled  in  one  of  the  open  places  of  the 
capital.  It  was  composed  of  young  men  who 
rebelled  against  some  recent  police  regulations. 
The  troops  were  about  to  act,  but  on  the  appear- 
ance of  Neipperg,  order  was  at  once  restored. 
The  General  made  inquiries  as  to  the  griev- 
ances and  promised  justice.  A  kindly  and 
friendly  speech  which  he  then  addressed  to 
them  led  to  his  being  warmly  cheered  by  the 
mob. 

In  1817  an  epidemic  raged  in  Parma,  and  at 
the  same  time  riots  broke  out,  caused  by  the 
general  distress.  Neipperg,  unaccompanied  by 
any  one,  walked  about  the  streets,  mingling  with 
the  populace,  and  good-naturedly  induced  the 

173 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

rioters  to  disperse,  thus  calming  the  public 
excitement.  "A  battery  of  artillery  brought 
into  action  against  the  people  would  not 
have  been  as  successful  as  were  the  more 
tactful,  humane  measures  adopted  by  the 
General." 

Being  an  honest  as  well  as  an  able  adminis- 
trator, Neipperg  had  exercised  zeal  of  a  high 
order  in  reorganizing  the  administration  of  the 
duchies,  in  improving  all  branches  of  the 
service,  in  the  impetus  he  gave  to  the  carrying 
out  of  public  works,  and  in  founding  all  sorts 
of  benevolent  and  popular  institutions.  We 
have  already  called  attention  to  the  building  of 
the  bridges  over  the  Taro  and  Trebbia,  and 
the  cemetery  of  La  Villette. 

Other  great  works  remain  as  monuments  of 
his  government. 

Let  us  first  mention  the  theatre  at  Parma 
which  Marie-Louise  ordered  to  be  built  in  1821 
on  the  ruins  of  the  convent  of  St.  Alexander, 
and  which  was  opened  with  much  pomp  on 

May  12,  1829. 

174 


of  Marie-Louise 

The  foundation  of  the  "  Hospice  de  )a 
Maternite "  dates  from  the  arrival  of  Marie- 
Louise  in  the  States.  It  was  built  to  give 
shelter  to  poor  women  about  to  be  confined,  and 
as  a  school  of  midwifery  to  supply  the  country- 
side with  experienced  nurses. 

Neipperg  also  reconstructed  according  to 
more  modern  ideas  an  old  hospital  at  Parma — 
the  "  Hopital  de  la  Misericorde." 

Not  content  with  having  established  a  ceme- 
tery at  the  gates  of  the  town,  Neipperg  sug- 
gested   to   the   young   sovereign    the    idea   of 
building  a  chapel  and  vaults  under  the  church 
of  "  La  Steccata,"  in  which  to  collect  the  scat- 
tered monuments  of  her  illustrious  predecessors. 
This  sepulchral  chamber  was  decorated  with 
the  most  beautiful   marbles  the   country  pro- 
duced.     Among    the    monuments    that    were 
placed   here   were   those   of    Don    Philip,   the 
husband     of     Louise-Elizabeth     of     France, 
daughter    of    Louis    XV,    and    of    Alexander 
Farnese,  on   which  were  placed  his  helmet  and 

sword. 

175 


Marie-Louise 

The  following  inscription  was  engraved  on 
the  door  of  this  crypt — 

CINERIBUS    PRINCIPUM 
EX    GENTIBUS    FARNESIA    ET    BORBONIA 

QUI    PARM.E    ET 

MARIA-LUDOVICA,    ARCH.    AUSTRIA 
DUX    FARM.    PLAC.    WAST. 

DECESSORES    SUOS, 
SIBI    COGNATIONE    JUNCTOS 

MEMORI    ADJECTU 

HYPAGANUM    CONFORMANDUM 

ARAQUE    INSTRUENDUM 

CURAVIT 
ANNO    MDCCCXXIII 

Neipperg's  activity  can  be  traced  in  other 
administrative  works :  the  vast  gardens  of 
Colorno,  the  Galleries  of  the  "Academie  des 
Beaux-Arts,"  the  "  Casino  Dei  Boschi  "  at  Sala, 
and  the  restoration  of  the  Farnese  theatre  which 
the  architect  Bettoli  turned  into  a  beautiful, 
large  and  comfortable  house. 

Neipperg  also  made  his  mark  in  military 
history.  Besides  producing  many  essays,  he 
was  an  active  contributor  to  the  Militdrische 
Zeitschrift,  and  a  translation  of  Essai  sur  le 
service  d'Etat- Major,  by  General  Crossard,  is 

due  to  his  pen. 

176 


XI 

MARIE-LOUISE   AT   GENEVA 

MARIE-LOUISE  shed  many  tears,  her  grief 
being  intense.  She  shut  herself  up  in  her  palace, 
firmly  resolved  to  end  her  days  there,  clothed 
in  the  deepest  mourning.  She  told  Mme.  de 
Crenneville  that  "her  home  and  her  happiness 
had  been  completely  destroyed."  It  was  in 
vain  that  she  said  to  herself  that  her  dear  lost 
one  was  happy  and  watching  her  from  above — 
she  was  inconsolable.  Six  weeks  after  the 
death  of  Neipperg  a  Frenchman,  the  Baron  de 
Vitrolles,1  the  minister  of  Charles  X,  recently 

1  Baron  de  Vitrolles  had,  under  the  Empire,  been 
Inspector  of  the  Imperial  sheep-farms.  Being-  a  great 
friend  of  the  Due  de  Dalberg  and  of  Talleyrand, 
he  was  one  of  the  first,  in  1814,  vigorously  to  plead 
the  cause  of  the  Bourbons  with  the  allies.  During  the 
hundred  days  he  did  all  in  his  power  to  organize  resist- 
ance to  Napoleon  in  the  south.  He  was  Deputy  from 
1815  to  1816,  he  then  fell  into  disgrace  and  subse- 
quently, in  December  1827,  was  appointed  Minister 
Plenipotentiary  to  Florence. 

M  177 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

accredited  to  the  Courts  of  Florence,  Modena, 
and  Parma,  had  frequent  opportunities  of  see- 
ing and  conversing  with  the  ex-Empress.  He 
has  given  us  an  account  of  the  different  inter- 
views he  had  with  her.  He  writes  from 
Florence  on  April  n,  1829:  "  Mme.  1'Archi- 
duchesse  remains  inconsolable.  In  the  long 
conversation  which  I  have  had  with  her 
Majesty,  it  was  evident  that  all  her  thoughts 
were  concentrated  on  her  recent  bereavement. 
Her  eyes  filled  with  tears  when  she  spoke  of 
it,  and  it  was  her  sole  topic  of  conversation. 
She  had  lavished  on  Neipperg  all  her  love  as 
his  wife  and  the  mother  of  his  children.  No 
minister  or  confidential  adviser  could  ever  have 
been  more  completely  trusted  by  his  sovereign 
than  was  the  General  by  Marie-Louise. 
People  who  remember  her  during  her  sojourn 
in  France  say  that  she  has  much  changed  and 
become  a  great  deal  thinner.  Although  taller 
and  having  perhaps  more  regular  features,  she 
reminds  one  not  a  little  of  Mme.  la  Duchesse 
de  Berry.  She  appeared  to  take  it  as  a  com- 
pliment when  I  mentioned  this  likeness  to  her. 

178 


of  Marie-Louise 

She  speaks  well  and  appears  to  be  high-minded 
in  her  ideas.  She  is  reputed  to  have  a  kind 
heart,  a  noble  spirit,  and  an  easy-going,  per- 
haps somewhat  changeable,  character.  What 
astonished  me  most  in  our  conversations  was 
the  fact  that  she  appeared  to  have  quite  for- 
gotten Paris,  and  that  her  sojourn  and  life  in 
France  seemed  to  be  quite  a  blank  to  her.  She 
asked  me  what  had  happened  to  the  Pantheon, 
and  immediately  afterwards  inquired  which 
was  the  principal  (metropolitan)  church  of 
Paris.  She  seemed  to  know  nothing  of  the 
members  of  Napoleon's  family  when  they  were 
mentioned.  She  even  forgets  those  who  were 
attached  to  her  person  to  such  a  degree  that 
she  questioned  me  as  to  their  appearance, 
looks  and  intelligence.  In  one  of  my  last  con- 
versations with  her,  when  talking  of  her  Paris 
days,  she  exclaimed,  '  Ah !  mon  Dieu,  I  have 
been  very  happy  here  until  now,  and  the  first 
years  of  my  life  have  seemed  but  a  bad 
dream !'  On  another  occasion,  seeming  to  be 
desirous  of  repudiating  the  reproach  which  had 

often  been  made,  even  in  Italy,  of  her  having 
M  2  179 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

shown  so  little  affection  for  Napoleon  in  the 
time  of  his  adversity,  she  said,  '  We  princesses 
are  not  brought  up  like  other  women — nor  have 
we  the  same  surroundings  or  the  same  family 
sentiments.  We  are  always  prepared  for 
events  which  will  break  family  ties,  and 
separate  us  from  our  parents,  and  which  give 
us  other  and  often  opposite  interests.  My  poor 
sister,  for  instance,  who  died  in  Brazil,  miser- 
able and  away  from  all  her  family!'  Marie- 
Louise  then  finished  the  conversation  by  again 
expatiating  on  the  merits  of  her  lost  husband." 
On  May  12,  1829,  the  theatre  which  Marie- 
Louise  had  ordered  to  be  built  in  1821  was 
opened  at  Parma  in  the  presence  of  the  King 
of  Sardinia,  and  La  Pasta1  took  part  in  the 
performance.  Nothing,  however,  could  make 
Marie-Louise  forget  her  grief.  Her  nerves 
were  overstrung  and  she  felt  that  the  baths  at 
Aix  alone  could  benefit  her  health.  But  how 
could  she  bear  to  return  alone  to  a  place  still 

1  Pasta  (Judith),  Italian  singer,  born  at  Como  1798, 
died  1865,  one  of  the  first  singers  in  Europe  from  1821 
to  1840. 

1 80 


of  Marie-Louise 

so  full  of  the  memories  of  the  General  and 
where  she  would,  at  every  step,  be  reminded 
of  his  love  and  soft  words.  No,  she  would 
only  go  for  a  "  cure  "  to  the  neighbourhood  of 
Geneva,  where  she  could  breath  the  air  of  the 
Alps,  and  enjoy  the  balmy  scent  of  the  pine- 
forests  and  the  aroma  of  the  wild  vegetation. 
Marie-Louise,  however,  did  not  entirely  re- 
nounce all  worldly  pleasures,  as  will  be 
seen  from  the  following  ending  of  a  letter  to 
her  "chere  Victoire,"  dated  July  n  :  "  If  La 
Pasta  sings,  please  take  a  box  for  me  at  the 
Carcano." 

In  accordance  with  the  resolution  previously 
mentioned  Marie-Louise  went  to  Geneva, 
accompanied  by  her  two  children,  their  tutor 
and  a  portion  of  her  Court.  She  lodged  at 
the  Chateau  du  Petit  Saconnex  near  Gex, 
close  to  the  French  frontier,  which  she  had 
taken  for  one  month. 

There  lived  at  Geneva  at  that  time  a 
well-meaning  individual — Lecomte  by  name — 
who  was  a  fanatical  adherent  of  the  Empire 

and  embued  with  a  craze   for  rhyming.    He 

181 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

spent  most  of  his  time  in  committing  to  verse 
the  achievements  of  "  La  Grande  Armee." 
Scarcely  had  the  ex-Empress  arrived  than  he 
composed  this  enthusiastic  poem  to  Hector's 
widow,  which  proved  a  source  of  much  annoy- 
ance to  the  police  of  Louis  XVIII — 

MARIE-LOUISE    AT    GENEVA, 

BY 

ELIS£E  LECOMTE. 

Je  1'ai  vue  !  .   .   .   Et  mon  cceur  ge"mit  et  doute  encor. 
Je  1'ai  vue  !  ...   Us  disaient :  c'est  la  veuve  d' Hector  ! 
C'est  elle,  c'est  Louise,  Spouse  d'un  grand  homme, 
Fille  d'Empereur,  mere  du  Roi  de  Rome, 
L'Impe'ratrice  enfin  !  .   .  .  Je  contemple,  &  ces  mots, 
Celle  qui  fut  unie  au  premier  he>os. 

De  tes  brillants  destins  qu'un  pouvoir  trop  jaloux 

Ait  enchaine"  tes  pas  loin  d'un  auguste  e"poux; 

Que  ton  cceur  n'ait  jamais  outrage"  sa  memoire, 

C'est  ce  qu'on  doit  penser,  c'est  ce  que  je  veux  croire. 

Mais  si  tu  n'e"tais  plus  tout  entiere  &  son  fils, 

Si  ta  faiblesse.  .  .  .  Ah !  Dieu  !  Louise,  je  fre"mis.  .  .  . 

Vils  calomniateurs,  tremblez,  qu'osez-vous  dire?  .  .  . 

Ce  n'est  que  par  ce  fils  que  Louise  respire; 

Sans  lui  vous  la  verriez  descendre  chez  les  morts, 

Par  les  chagrins  tue*e,  et  non  par  les  remords. 

Marie-Louise  in  coming  to  Geneva  had  not 
the  remotest  desire  to  revive  the  memories  or 

rekindle  the  hopes  of  the  Empire.     The  pre- 
182 


of  Marie-Louise 

feet  of  the  Lower  Rhine,  who  was  well  in- 
formed as  to  what  was  going  on  in  the  country, 
endeavoured  to  convince  the  Minister  of  the 
Interior  of  this  fact,  and  wrote  :  "  The  sight  of 
Marie-Louise  is  enough  to  prove  that  her 
journey  had  no  other  motive  than  that  of  seek- 
ing health.  She  is  crippled  by  rheumatism  and 
other  ailments,  and  looks  like  an  ill-preserved' 
woman  of  fifty-five." 

Nevertheless  Marie-Louise  spent  her  time  at 
Geneva  most  agreeably.  She  made  excursions 
"on  horse-back,"  and  "visited  everything  of 
interest  in  the  neighbouring  villages."  She 
was  only  seen  once  in  society,  at  the  house 
of  the  Duchesse  de  Clermont-Tonnerre.  The 
ex-Empress,  being  in  a  good  humour,  laid  her- 
self out  to  be  agreeable.  "  She  asked  for  news 
of  her  two  cousins,  Mme.  d'Angouleme  and 
Mme.  de  Berry,  and  of  the  young  Due  de 
Bordeaux,  who  is,  I  am  told,  the  pride  of 
France." 

She  was  also  seen  at  Geneva  at  the  annual 
regatta,   where   she   "  displayed   a   galaxy   of 
liveries  and  carriages  and  where  a  beautifully 
183 


Marie- Louise 

decorated  boat  had  been  prepared  for  her  use 
on  the  lake."  Part  of  the  crowd  received  her 
with  cheers  but,  according  to  official  reports, 
some  "very  ironical  and  disrespectful  re- 
marks "  were  also  heard  amongst  the  people. 

After  staying  there  for  a  month,  Marie  - 
Louise  left  the  Chateau  du  Petit  Saconnex  on 
September  20.  She  stayed  a  night  at  Lau- 
sanne, whence  she  went  straight  to  Parma. 


184 


XII 

THE    REVOLUTION    OF    183! 

THE  pure  and  vigorous  air  of  Switzerland 
had  "  given  new  life "  to  the  sovereign  of 
Parma.  She  returned  quite  enchanted  with 
her  journey.  She  had  seen  Gustave,  the 
General's  son,  and  wrote  :  "  He  is  a  charming 
boy  and  is  the  one  who  will  follow  in  his  dear 
father's  footsteps.  His  affection  is  really  quite 
touching  .  .  .  and  altogether  I  like  him  im- 
mensely for,  besides  having  a  strength  of 
character  rare  at  his  age,  he  has  the  best  of 
hearts,  and  is  very  intelligent.  May  God  grant 
that  he  may  not  be  spoilt  either  by  the  world 
or  bad  company.  When  I  think  of  my  son  and 
of  Guillaume,  I  am  already  anxious  on  that 
score." 

In  the  month  of  December  we  find  that  the 
correspondence  of  Marie -Louise  no  longer  be- 
tokened such  profound  grief.  After  her  some- 

185 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

what  exaggerated  sorrow,  the  Archduchess  had 
again  "  launched  out  into  society." 

On  her  birthday  she  was  present  at  a  charm- 
ing concert :  "  I  have  never  seen,"  she  writes, 
"such  extraordinary  hips  as  our  singers  had; 
I  don't  know  whether  they  were  real  or  arti- 
ficial, but  they  certainly  were  terrible."  *  And 
further  on  she  adds  in  despair :  "  We  have 
now  been  nine  days  without  anything  at  the 
theatre."  As  she  cannot  give  balls  until  her 
mourning  is  at  an  end,  she  contents  herself 
by  going  to  the  theatre,  where  the  perform- 
ances, to  quote  her  own  words,  "were  beneath 
contempt.  .  .  .  Yesterday,"  she  wrote,  "they 
gave  Tancred,  and  it  really  seemed  as  if  all 
the  singers  were  trying  to  see  who  could  shout 
the  loudest." 

During  the  last  week  of  January  1830 
Marie -Louise  gave  her  first  ball  at  Court.  "  It 
was  very  brilliant,"  she  writes,  "  and  I  must  say 

1  In  this  letter  Marie-Louise  gives  a  thought  to  the 
King  of  Rome  :  "  If  there  is  anything  new  in  the  way 
of  neck-ties  or  winter  waistcoats  in  Paris,  please  send 
me  two  of  the  former  and  a  dozen  of  the  latter,  as  I 
wish  to  send  them  to  my  son." 

186 


of  Marie- Louise 

that,  considering  how  small  a  town  Parma  is, 
we  have  some  very  pretty  young  married 
women  and  a  good  number  of  them.  To- 
morrow is  the  subscription  ball.  Dressing  for 
parties  bores  me  dreadfully,  I  have  quite  got 
out  of  the  habit  of  it.  Fringes  of  feathers  are 
now  the  fashion  here." 

In  January  1831  Marie-Louise  really  ap- 
peared to  have  regained  her  youth.  It  was  as 
if  a  magic  wand  had  suddenly  turned  her  into 
a  young  woman  of  twenty.  She  had  become 
passionately  fond  of  acting,  and  when  Les 
Deiix  Maris,1  by  Scribe  and  Varner,  was 
given  in  the  Court  Theatre  at  Parma,  the  parts 
were  undertaken  by  Mesdames  Werklein,  San- 
vitale,  Paveri,  and  Marie-Louise.  This  play, 
full  of  wit  and  finesse,  aided  by  the  beauty 
of  the  ladies,  was  a  great  success. 

On  January  27  in  order,  no  doubt,  to  prove 
that  she  had  a  vocation  for  the  stage,  Marie- 
Louise  again  acted  with  the  ladies  of  her  Court 

1  Comedy  in  one  act,  with  lyrics,  produced  for  the 
first  time  in  Paris  at  the  Varie'te's  Theatre,  February 
3. 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

in  a  play  by  Paveri,  after  which  the  Ducal 
Theatre  remained  closed  for  a  few  days. 

On  February  i,  however,  a  second  per- 
formance of  Les  Deux  Mans  was  given  at 
Court  by  the  same  aristocratic  company.  On 
this  occasion  Marie -Louise  undertook  the  part 
of  a  "jeune  premiere  " —that  of  Mme.  Rigaud. 
A  few  days  afterwards,  another  little  comedy, 
full  of  charm — La  Gageure  imprevue?-  by 
Sedaine,  was  given.  In  this  Marie-Louise 
played  the  principal  part,  that  of  Mme.  de 
Clainville. 

A  veritable  tragedy,  meanwhile,  was  taking 
place  elsewhere.  While  Marie-Louise  was 
indulging  in  amateur  theatricals  at  Parma  with 
great  eclat,  the  Revolution  of  1830 — which  had 
declared  war  against  monarchy  of  any  kind — 
had  spread  its  propaganda  and  inflamed  the 
north  of  Italy. 

At  Neipperg's  death  the  post  of  Secretary 
of  State  was  vested  in  Baron  Werklein,  who 
had  acted  as  private  secretary  to  Marie-Louise 

1  Comedy  in  one  act,  produced  for  the  first  time  in 
Paris  by  the  King's  Comedians,  May  27,  1768. 

188 


of  Marie- Louise 

ever  since  the  retirement  of  Comte  de 
Scarampi. 

The  Baron,  who  was  born  in  Transylvania 
of  humble  parents,  commenced  his  career  as  a 
mathematical  master  in  a  school  of  artillery. 
Subsequently  after  serving  on  the  Austrian 
staff,  he  became  colonel  of  a  regiment  of  the 
line.  In  1815  he  was  appointed  Austrian  Com- 
missioner in  the  little  Duchy  of  Lucca,  which 
he  administered  for  three  years,  indeed  until 
the  time  when  the  Duchy  was  returned  to  the 
Queen-mother  of  H.R.H.  the  Duke  of  Lucca. 
Werklein  was  then  summoned  to  Parma  by 
the  Count  de  Neipperg  in  order  to  take  up 
the  appointment  of  private  secretary  to  the 
sovereign. 

There  was  "  something  uncouth  and  even 
chilling  "  in  his  appearance.  He  was  a  man 
with  a  certain  amount  of  cleverness,  but  quite 
devoid  of  principle.  Soon  after  his  arrival 
mismanagement  of  the  Court  finances  became 
apparent.  Money  was  lavished  in  "specula- 
tion and  costly  enterprises.  Moreover,  it  was 

noticed    that    some    previously    impecunious 

189 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

persons  suddenly  became  rich."  He  induced 
Marie-Louise  to  give  her  sanction  to  unpopular 
laws,  and  rumours  that  the  imposition  of  new 
taxes  was  imminent  circulated  throughout  the 
Duchy. 

On  February  10,  "  Le  Jeudi  Gras,"  vague 
signs  of  excitement  were  observable  in  the 
capital.  Gangs  of  young  men,  whistling  and 
shouting,  paraded  the  streets.  Parma  was  in 
a  ferment.  On  the  following  day  the  crowds 
increased  in  numbers,  and  on  the  same  evening 
above  the  dull  murmuring  of  the  people  cries 
of  "  Death  to  Werklein !  "  were  heard  on  the 
palace  square.  On  February  12  similar  scenes 
occurred,  the  excitement  increased,  and  troops 
were  called  out  to  disperse  the  mobs.  Marie- 
Louise,  frightened  to  death,  wished  to  retreat 
to  Piacenza.  She  ordered  her  carriages  and 
gave  instructions  that  her  own  regiment  should 
be  held  in  readiness  to  escort  her.  But  rumours 
of  her  intended  departure  having  reached  the 
ears  of  the  people,  a  rush  was  made  to  the 
palace,  under  the  windows  of  which  shouts 
arose  of  "  Vive  Marie-Louise !  "  and  also 

"  Death    to    Werklein !  "    the    latter    to    em- 

190 


of  Marie-Louise 

phasize  the  cause  of  the  insurrection.  Marie- 
Louise  showed  herself  on  the  balcony,  and 
was  received  with  much  cheering  and  applause. 
But  when  the  crowd  learnt  that  she  persisted 
in  her  determination  to  leave  the  capital,  a 
general  cry  of  "  Death  to  Werklein !  "  arose, 
and  expressions  of  sympathy  with  the  sovereign 
were  no  longer  heard.  The  troops  endeavoured 
to  push  back  the  mob,  which  led  to  violent  riot- 
ing, in  which  "a  portion  of  the  faithful  troops 
was  disarmed."  A  band  of  young  men  suc- 
ceeded in  entering  the  palace  in  search  of  the 
minister,  whom  they  threatened  to  kill.  They 
were  at  last  made  to  understand  that  Werklein 
had  left  Parma,  that  he  had  even  crossed  the 
frontier,  and  that  their  search  for  him  would 
therefore  be  fruitless. 

None  of  the  men  surrounding  the  Empress 
was  above  mediocrity.  The  mistakes  they 
made  were  deplorable,  the  measures  they  took 
were  faulty  and  they  had  not  the  necessary 
courage  for  such  a  crisis — which  circumstances 
led  to  the  triumph  of  the  revolution. 

On  the  night  of  the  i4th  Marie-Louise,  ac- 
companied by  General  Bianchi,  Baron  Mistrali, 

191 


The   Marriage  Ventures 

her  chamberlains,  and  a  portion  of  her  court, 
secretly  left  the  revolted  town.  By  the  fitful 
light  of  a  cloudy  moon,  the  small  cavalcade 
started  on  the  road  to  Casalmaggiore,1  on 
the  left  bank  of  the  P6,  where  they  joined  a 
battalion  of  Austrian  troops  which  escorted 
them  as  far  as  Cremona. 

As  soon  as  the  news  of  these  events  reached 

1  On  February  17  Marie-Louise  wrote  the  following 
letter  from  Casalmaggiore  to  Mme.  de  Crenneville : 
"A  thousand  thanks,  my  good  and  dear  Victoire,  for 
your  letter  and  the  proofs  it  contains  of  your  friend- 
ship, which  is  such  a  comfort  in  my  present  trouble  so 
terrible  to  bear.  ...  I  beg  of  you,  my  dear  friend,  to 
reflect  seriously  before  you  decide  to  run  the  risk  of 
coming  to  Piacenza.  I  could  not  wish  my  worst  enemy 
to  witness  such  scenes  as  I  have  had  to  go  through. 
You  may  therefore  imagine  how  anxious  I  should  be 
to  spare  you  a  similar  experience.  I  am,  however,  just 
as  grateful  to  you  for  even  entertaining  the  idea  of 
coming  to  me.  Do  not  yet  look  out  for  lodgings  for 
the  children,  they  are  now  my  only  consolation  and  I 
could  not  bear  to  part  with  them.  If  I  have  the  slight- 
est suspicion  of  anything  wrong  at  Piacenza  I  will  send 
them  at  once  to  Milan.  Mme.  Scarampi  is  quite  well 
and  is  with  me.  If  you  only  knew  the  devotion  of  the 
few  Parma  people  who  are  with  me,  especially  Bianchi, 
S.  Vitalie  and  Paveri,  you  would  know  what  a  con- 
solation that  must  be  to  me.  I  am  very  low,  both 
mentally  and  physically." 

192 


of  Marie-Louise 

the  Due  de  Reichstadt  he,  anxious  for  his 
mother's  safety,  hastened  to  ask  the  Emperor 
of  Austria's  permission  to  go  to  her  rescue. 
The  Emperor  refused  to  accede  to  his  request. 
The  young  Prince  was  much  grieved  by  the 
cold  water  thus  thrown  on  his  ardent  aspira- 
tions, and  wrote  a  very  touching  letter  to  his 
mother  on  the  subject:  "This  is  the  first 
time,"  wrote  the  Prince,  "that  obedience  to 
the  Emperor's  orders  has  caused  me  real 
pain." 

On  the  1 8th  Marie-Louise  took  up  her  abode 
at  Piacenza,  while  an  Austrian  army,  under  the 
command  of  General  Geppert,  was  marching 
on  Parma.  Cardinal  Oppizoni  addressed  a  pas- 
toral letter  to  all  the  clergy  and  people  in  his 
ecclesiastical  province,  including  the  dioceses 
of  Parma,  Piacenza,  etc.,  pointing  out  to  the 
clergy  that  it  was  their  duty  to  remain  faithful 
to  the  Holy  See  and  the  House  of  Austria,  and 
to  the  people  the  necessity  of  returning  to  their 
allegiance  to  the  sovereign.  The  peasantry, 
however,  of  Bologna,  Modena  and  Parma  had 

never  shown  much  sympathy  with  the  revolu- 
N  193 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

tionary  cause,  which  was  confined  to  the  large 
towns. 

Marie-Louise  appointed  Baron  Vincent  Mis- 
trali  Minister  of  Finance,  and  continued  Baron 
Cornacchia  as  Minister  of  the  Interior.  At  the 
same  time  she  issued  from  Piacenza  a  pro- 
clamation in  which  she  declared  "all  decrees 
of  the  Revolutionary  Government  null  and 
void,"  and  inviting  "all  the  soldiers  who  had 
remained  faithful  to  her  cause  to  join  her  at 
Piacenza." 

Meanwhile,  the  insurgents  had  effected  the 
capture  of  the  Bishop  of  Guastalla,  as  also  of 
all  the  members  of  the  court  and  the  Em- 
press's servants  who  had  remained  at  Parma. 
There  was,  however,  dissension  in  the  councils 
of  the  provisional  government.  The  Duke  of 
Modena,  surrounded  by  Austrian  troops,  had 
already  returned  to  his  States.  On  March  13 
the  Austrians  entered  Parma  without  encounter- 
ing any  resistance.  On  the  previous  night  there 
had  been  a  rising  against  the  provisional 
government.  A  court  was  formed  for  the  trial 

of   all   citizens   who   had   taken   part   in   the 

194 


of  Marie-Louise 

revolutionary  movement.     No  one  was  found 
guilty. 

When  order  was  re-established  the  Presi- 
dent, Vincent  Mistrali,was  sent  by  Marie-Louise 
to  Parma  in  order  to  re-organize  the  adminis- 
tration of  her  Government.  On  August  8 
she  herself  re-entered  the  capital — crowded 
with  people  and  soldiers,  but  silent  as  a 
desert. 

Notwithstanding  the  apparent  quiet,  Marie- 
Louise  was  not  at  all  satisfied  as  to  the  state  of 
affairs,  and  an  Austrian  garrison  was  maintained 
in  the  capital  for  some  years. 

The  Imperial  Government  sent  to  the  Arch- 
duchess the  Baron  de  Marshall,  a  member  of 
the  diplomatic  service,  to  act  as  Imperial  Com- 
missioner at  her  court.  He  was  a  man  of  great 
energy  and  undoubted  honesty. 

Under  his  supervision  a  new  Government, 
composed  of  capable  men  whose  private  lives 
were  above  suspicion,  were  about,  as  we  shall 
presently  see,  to  take  up  the  management  of 
public  affairs. 

Their  business  was  to  re-organize  the  Arch- 
N  2  195 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

duchess's  Household  and  the  administration  of 
the  country. 

Marie -Louise  appointed  Baron  de  Marshall, 
formerly  Minister  Plenipotentiary  of  Austria, 
Grand  Master  (High  Steward)  of  the  Court 
and  of  the  Ducal  House,  which  was  composed 
as  follows — 

Captain  Richer,  of  Austrian  hussars,  private 

secretary  and  chief  of  the  department 

of  Foreign  Affairs.     He  had  formerly 

been  private  secretary  to  Neipperg. 

Count  Bondani,  President  of  the  department 

of  Finance. 
Baron  Cornacchia,  formerly  a  lawyer,  chief 

of  the  Home  Department. 
Comtesse  Ventura,  Lady-in- Waiting. 
Comtesse  Scarampi,  "  Grande  Maitresse." 
One  Chief  Almoner. 
One  Chief  Chamberlain. 
One  Chief  Master  of  the  Ceremonies. 
The  Commander  of  the  Body  Guard. 
Five  permanent  Chamberlains. 
Fifty  ordinary  Chamberlains. 

Two  Ladies  of  the  Court. 
196 


of  Marie- Louise 

Forty-two  Ladies  of  the  Palace. 

Baron  Amelin  was  Court  Superintendent, 
and  it  was  his  duty  to  receive  the  orders  of 
High  Steward  every  morning  and  see  them 
carried  out. 

The  household,  including  the  company  of 
halberdiers  and  the  firemen,  amounted  to 
more  than  four  hundred  persons. 

As  it  was  of  first  importance  to  do  away  with 
all  abuses  and  establish  order  in  public  affairs, 
necessary  reforms,  as  well  as  great  economies, 
were  effected  in  all  branches  of  the  Govern- 
ment. Many  officers,  both  civil  and  military, 
were  dismissed. 

The  Civil  List,  which  hitherto  had  amounted 
to  1,800,000  francs,  with  a  supplementary 
estimate  of  200,000  francs,  was  reduced  to 
1,200,000  francs  for  the  ordinary  budget,  and 
300,000  francs  for  the  extraordinary  budget. 


197 


XIII 

DEATH  OF  THE  DUG  DE  REICHSTADT 

THE  march  of  events  has  obliged  us  to  neglect 
Marie-Louise  for  a  time  while  her  ministers 
were  reorganizing  her  Government  at  Parma. 

She  had  remained  at  Piacenza  to  recover 
from  her  excitements  far  from  the  insurgent 
town.  She  continued  to  receive  excellent  re- 
ports from  her  capital,  and  was  at  last  in  a  posi- 
tion to  write  to  Mme.  de  Crenneville  as  follows  : 
"All  is  quiet  at  Parma.  Thank  God  the  feel- 
ing there  is  improving,  and  my  presence  is  much 
desired.  I  am  told  that  the  town  is  deserted, 
and  that  sadness  reigns  everywhere ;  it  will  not 
recover,  I  am  sure,  for  many  years." 

Anyhow,  Marie-Louise  enjoyed  her  stay  at 
Piacenza  very  much.  Spring  had  come  and, 
under  the  influence  of  a  bright  and  warm  sun, 

the  beautiful  gardens  of  this  summer  residence 

198 


Marie-Louise 

were  gay  with  the  variegated  blooms  of  the  bud- 
ding spring  flowers.  The  month  of  April,  with 
its  fresh  colouring,  imparted  the  energy  of  youth 
to  the  sovereign.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  the 
presence  there  of  her  children  and  intimate 
friends  added  to  the  soothing  effect  of  these 
surroundings.  She  left  Piacenza  "  with  tears  in 
her  eyes,"  for  she  had  found  there  the  "  repose 
she  so  much  needed." 

Her  reception  at  Parma  was"  frigid."  Never- 
theless the  town  was  "illuminated  for  three 
nights."  iThe  evening  after  her  arrival  a  cantata 
was  sung  at  the  theatre,  where  Marie-Louise, 
in  her  box,  was  received  with  applause  from  the 
audience.  In  general,  however,  the  population 
evinced  no  real  sympathy  for  her,  and  this  she 
reported  to  her  "  dear  Victoire  "  as  follows  : — 
"There  is  no  doubt  that  the  fire  is  simmering 
beneath  the  cinders,  and  the  general  feeling  is 
very  hostile ;  if  any  one  doubts  it,  they  have  only 
to  see  the  insolent  demeanour  of  the  people 
when  one  of  the  royal  carriages  is  seen  in  the 
streets." 

It  is  not  surprising,  therefore,  that  she  very 
199 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

soon  made  up  her  mind  to  leave  Parma  for  Sala, 
"there  to  breathe  fresh  air,  free  from  all  dis- 
quieting communications." 

She  had  scarcely  taken  up  her  abode  in  her 
summer  residence  when  she  heard  that  the 
cholera  was  sweeping  Europe,  and  devastating 
the  continent  from  north  to  south  and  east  to 
west. 

"  If  it  comes  in  this  direction  " — this  is  not  a 
speech  to  be  proud  of — "  I  shall  remain  the 
whole  winter  at  Sala,"  she  wrote  to  her  dear 
friend ;  "  I  shall  then  be  within  reach  in  case 
I  have  any  orders  to  issue,  but  at  the  same  time 
I  shall  be  to  a  certain  extent  protected  from 
infection." 

She  soon  learnt  that  the  fell  disease  had  at- 
tacked Vienna,  and  she  again  tells  Mme.  de 
Crenneville  how  terrified  she  is :  "I  am  in  the 
utmost  anguish  for  all  my  relations,  and  espe- 
cially for  my  son,  who,  although  he  is  with  the 
Emperor  at  Schcenbriinn,  is  sure  not  to  take  as 
much  care  of  himself  as  the  rest  of  the  family. 
I  think  that  I  shall  be  far  less  frightened  when 

he  is  here  with  me  than  I  am  now,  when  he  is 

200 


of  Marie-Louise 

with  my  people,  and  separated  from  me  by  so 
many  hundreds  of  miles. 

"  I  do  not  yet  know  where  I  shall  shut  myself 
up  when  the  cholera  approaches;  but  I  do  not 
fear  such  imprisonment  to  the  extent  that  you 
do,  if  we  are  driven  to  such  extremes.  As  far 
as  seclusion  is  concerned,  it  would  only  be  like 
spending  a  winter  in  the  country,  but  the 
consequences,  the  ravages  and  the  expenses 
brought  about  by  cholera,  will  be  simply 
incalculable. 

"  I  feel  sure  that  we  shall  have  it  in  Italy 
before  the  end  of  the  spring,  and  all  the  pre- 
cautionary measures  that  one  has  to  take  give 
me  an  immensity  of  trouble."  It  will  thus  be 
seen  that  Marie-Louise  already  foresaw  the  dif- 
ficulties she  would  have  to  encounter  with 
regard  to  the  expenditure  which  an  invasion  of 
cholera  would  necessitate. 

In  this  crisis  she  thought  that  in  order  to  in- 
crease her  financial  resources  the  silver-gilt  and 
lapis-lazuli  dressing-table-set  which  the  town  of 
Paris  had  presented  to  her  could  not  be  better 

employed  than  in  relieving  the  sufferings  of  her 

201 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

subjects  threatened  by  this  epidemic.  On  the 
advice  of  her  Minister  of  Finance,  Count  Bon- 
dani,  she  ordered  the  conversion  into  money  of 
all  the  fusible  portions  of  this  magnificent 
work  of  art,  and  further  ordered  that  the  pro- 
ceeds should  be  immediately  applied  to  the 
relief  of  the  victims  and  the  needs  of  those 
rendered  orphans  by  the  pestilence.1  The  melt- 
ing of  this  metal  realized  125,000  francs. 

At  one  moment  Marie-Louise  also  thought 
of  raising  money  by  means  of  the  King  of 
Rome's  silver  cradle;  but  the  Due  de  Reich- 
stadt  claimed  it,  and  so  the  magnificent  souvenir 
was  sent  to  Vienna. 

These  troubles  did  not  interfere  with  Marie- 
Louise's  enjoyment  of  the  pleasures  of  life. 

1  We  must  at  once  say  that  the  cholera  did  not 
appear  in  the  Duchies  till  1836.  The  epidemic  was 
virulent  from  June  19  to  September  15,  during  which 
time  1,212  cases  of  cholera  were  registered  at  Parma 
alone,  of  which  438  proved  fatal.  In  the  country  4,258 
cases  out  of  8,333  terminated  fatally.  Malaspina, 
p.  29.  It  was  at  this  time  that  an  altar  was  placed  in 
the  Church  Del  Quartiere  at  Parma,  dedicated  to 
"  Notre-Dafne  de  la  Sant6  Publique,"  the  appellation 
by  which  the  Holy  Virgin  was  invoked  when  cholera 
appeared  in  the  country. 

202 


of  Marie-Louise 

Almost  light-heartedly  she  wrote  from  Parma 
on  February  26,  1832— 

"  I  am  very  much  afraid  that  I  shall  be 
unable  to  go  to  the  ball  on  the  6th,  for  I  do  not 
arrive  at  Piacenza  till  the  3rd,  and  they  have 
made  all  sorts  of  preparations  for  me  for  the 
carnival  fetes.  Last  Wednesday,  Ricci's  new 
opera,  II  nuovo  Figaro  e  la  Modista,  was  given. 
Such  charming  music  !  " 

The  Archduchess  spent  the  month  of  May  at 
Piacenza.  Her  being  much  occupied  with  balls, 
dinners  and  dances  did  not  prevent  her  from 
thinking  about  the  health  of  the  Due  de  Reich- 
stadt. 

In  a  letter  to  Mme.  de  Crenneville  she  wrote 
as  follows  :  "  When  ugly  rumours  are  about  in 
the  town,  I  am  foolish  enough  to  be  over- 
anxious, for  when  one  is  far  away,  one  is  apt  to 
imagine  all  sorts  of  horrors,  and  I  dread  the 
future.  Although  I  shall  be  delighted  to  see 
my  son  again  and  to  be  able  to  judge  for  myself 
as  to  the  state  of  his  health,  which  now  troubles 
me  a  great  deal,  I  think  that  the  Italian  climate 

will  be  bad  for  him.     His  lungs,  thank  Heaven, 

203 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

are  quite  sound,  but  it  is  his  liver  which  is 
affected,  and  every  one  knows  that  a  hot  climate 
is  bad  for  this.  He  is  dreadfully  low,  always 
wants  to  be  alone,  and  suffers  terribly  from 
biliousness.  He  no  longer  coughs,  and  is  able 
to  go  out  walking  and  driving,  but  it  will  be 
long  before  he  entirely  regains  his  health. 
Ferrari  tells  me  that  what  would  do  him  most 
good  are  mineral  waters,  and  I  believe  he  is 
going  to  take  some.  He  would  not  be  aston- 
ished if  it  ended  in  an  attack  of  jaundice,  but 
says  there  is  no  cause  for  alarm ;  God  grant  that 
he  may  be  right.  For  if  he  became  worse,  and 
we  had  cholera  here,  I  could  not  go  to  Vienna, 
for  I  feel  very  strongly  that  it  is  the  duty  of 
sovereigns  to  sacrifice  all  that  is  most  dear  to 
them  in  order  to  share  every  danger  with  their 
subjects" 

And  Marie-Louise  goes  on  to  say :  "  Since 
my  ball,  my  cold  has  returned,  and  I  have  pains 
in  my  chest.  I  am  so  pleased  that  it  is  over, 
but  I  am  bound  to  say  that  it  was  a  beautiful 
sight.  Mme.  Scarampi  gave  a  charming  dance ; 

but  as  I  am  not  allowed  to  sit  up  late,  I  was 

204 


of  Marie-Louise 

obliged  to  leave  at  midnight,  much  to  my 
regret." 

While  Marie-Louise  was  writing  this  letter 
to  her  "  chere  Victoire,"  there  was  no  longer  any 
doubt  in  Vienna  as  to  the  state  of  the  Due  de 
Reichstadt's  health.  The  young  prince  was 
confined  to  his  bed  and  was  slowly  dying. 

Although  told  of  the  dangerous  nature  of  her 
son's  illness,  she  could  not  make  up  her  mind 
to  leave  her  States.  It  was  not  until  the  reports 
were  actually  alarming  that  she  consented  to 
start.  She  stopped  at  Trieste  on  her  way,  to 
see  the  Emperor,  who  happened  to  be  there  at 
that  time,  and  where,  being  taken  rather  seri- 
ously ill  herself,  she  was  compelled  to  remain 
for  some  days. 

She  at  last  arrived  at  Schcenbriinn  on  the 
evening  of  June  24. 

We  are  told  that  her  distress  was  really  great 
when  she  saw  the  terrible  change  that  the  illness 
had  wrought  in  this  youth — formerly  so  hand- 
some and  beaming  with  intelligence.  He  was 
now  speechless  and  bent  double.  His  cheeks 

were  hollow,  and  his  eyes  wan  and  sunken. 

205 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

Raising  himself  in  his  bed,  he  clasped  his 
mother  in  his  feeble  arms — this  mother  who, 
oblivious  of  her  most  sacred  duties,  and  who 
had  early  weaned  him  of  all  maternal  love  and 
'care,  now  came  to  hear  him  draw  his  last  breath. 

The  pleasure  which  the  presence  of  his 
mother  afforded  the  prince  seemed  for  a  brief 
period  to  diminish  the  severity  of  his  illness. 
But  his  days  were  numbered. 

On  July  2 1  a  curious  incident  occurred :  a 
flash  of  lightning,  followed  by  a  crash  of  thun- 
der, as  if  announcing  the  death  sentence  of  the 
King  of  Rome,  struck  one  of  the  Imperial 
eagles  on  the  roof  of  the  palace  of  Schcen- 
briinn.  "  It  was  fitting,"  they  said  at  Vienna, 
"that  the  death  of  Napoleon's  son  should  be 
heralded  by  a  peal  of  thunder." 

During  the  night,  fits  of  nervous  excitement 
were  followed  by  intervals  of  complete  exhaus- 
tion. Captain  Baron  Moll,  the  Prince's  tutor, 
never  left  the  sick  room.  At  about  half-past 
three  in  the  morning  the  Prince  was  seized  with 
a  violent  pain;  he  sat  up  and  exclaimed  in 

German,  "  I  am  dying,   I  am  dying."     Moll 

206 


of  Marie-Louise 

rushed  to  the  sick  boy's  bed  and,  with  the  help 
of  Dr.  Nickert,  supported  him.  The  Prince 
cried  out,  "  Call  my  mother — take  this  table 
away — I  want  nothing  now." 

Thinking  that  the  crisis  would  soon  be  over, 
they  did  not  deem  it  advisable  to  disturb  the 
Archduchess.  Moll  and  Dr.  Nickert  remained 
by  the  bedside  of  the  Prince,  whom  they  con- 
tinued to  support. 

Of  a  sudden,  the  sick  youth  seized  the 
Baron's  arms  and  clutched  them  convulsively, 
calling  out  with  difficulty,  "A  poultice — a 
blister !  "  These  were  his  last  words.  His 
eyes  became  fixed,  glassy,  lifeless.  He 
breathed  quietly,  but  was  unable  to  utter. 

Then  Moll  hastened  to  report  the  change  to 
Marie-Louise's  lady-in-waiting  and  the  Arch- 
duke Francis,  "whom  the  Prince  had  begged  to 
be  near  him  during  his  last  moments." 

.When  his  mother  entered  the  death-chamber 
she  trembled  from  head  to  foot.  She  stag- 
gered and,  in  order  to  prevent  falling,  seized  the 
Baron's  arm.  At  the  foot  of  the  bed  she  burst 

into  tears,  unable  to  say  a  word.    The  Prince 

207 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

recognized  her,  and  a  sad  smile  illumined  his 
face.  Twice  he  tried  by  moving  his  head  to 
convey  to  his  mother  a  last  good-bye  which 
his  lips  were  unable  to  express. 

Besides  Marie-Louise  there  were  at  that 
time  by  the  sick  boy's  bed  General  Hartmann, 
Captain  Standeisky,  Baron  Marshall,  Comte 
de  Scarampi,  Dr.  Malfatti.  Amid  the  deathly 
silence  in  the  room,  there  entered  a  young  court 
chaplain.  It  was  the  first  time  that  he  had 
ministered  to  a  dying  man,  and  during  the 
prayers  of  the  last  Sacrament  he  carefully 
avoided  anything  in  the  way  of  ceremonial 
which  might  have  a  disturbing  effect  on  the 
young  Prince.  The  service  was  followed 
with  profound  sorrow  and  attention  by  all  who 
were  present.  Every  one  knelt,  Marie-Louise, 
who  was  prostrate,  leaning  against  a  chair  for 
support.  At  the  conclusion  of  the  service, 
the  young  priest  asked  the  Duke  if  he  should 
read  to  him  or  offer  up  a  prayer.  With  a 
slight  inclination  of  the  head,  the  dying  youth 
signified  that  he  would  like  the  latter.  The 

chaplain  then  commenced  to  pray  in  a  sub- 

208 


of  Marie-Louise 

dued  tone.  Suddenly,  at  eight  minutes  past 
five  in  the  morning,  after  having  tossed  his 
head  once  or  twice  from  side  to  side,  the  Due 
de  Reichstadt  slowly  passed  away.  Several 
curious  coincidences  attended  this  death.  It 
took  place  in  the  same  room  and  on  the  anniver- 
sary of  the  day  on  which  the  Prince  had  heard 
of  Napoleon's  death.  It  was  in  this  room,  also, 
that  the  conqueror  of  Wagram,  amid  a  flourish 
of  trumpets,  had  signed  peace  with  Austria  sub- 
dued and  quivering  at  his  feet.  Lastly  it  was 
within  the  same  four  walls  and  on  the  same  day 
of  the  year  that  the  King  of  Rome  was  made  to 
renounce  his  glorious  name. 

All  was  over.  The  King  of  Rome  was  sleep- 
ing his  last  sleep,  and  Marie-Louise  was  carried 
fainting  from  the  room. 

The  Due  de  Reichstadt,  booted  and  spurred, 
dressed  in  a  white  tunic  and  blue  trousers  em- 
broidered with  silver,  and  wearing  his  decora- 
tions, lay  in  state  at  Schcenbriinn  the  whole  of 
Sunday  on  the  bed  in  which  he  died. 

On  Monday,  the  23rd,  an  autopsy  of  the  body 

was  made,  after  which  a  mask  was  taken  of  the 
o  209 


Marie-Louise 

young  Prince's  emaciated  face.  On  the  25th, 
at  five  p.m.,  a  hearse  drawn  by  six  white  horses, 
richly  caparisoned,  bore  the  coffin  of  the  once 
King  of  Rome  to  the  little  church  of  the  Capu- 
cins,  where  it  was  placed  in  the  crypt. 

The  court  went  into  mourning  for  six  weeks. 

After  the  funeral  Marie-Louise,  desiring  the 
condolence  and  sympathy  of  her  father,  re- 
joined him  at  the  castle  of  Persenberg,  whence 
she  subsequently  returned  to  Parma  via  Salz- 
burg and  Innsbruck.1 

1  At  the  beginning  of  August  Marie-Louise  returned 
to  her  States.  On  August  12  she  wrote  as  follows  to 
Mme.  de  Crenneville :  "  You  can  imagine,  my  dear 
Victoire,  what  it  is  to  me  to  be  obliged  to  remain  in- 
active and  with  nothing  but  my  sorrow  to  think  of. 
If  it  were  not  that  I  have  Albertine  and  Guillaume 
who,  of  course,  demand  my  care  and  attention,  I 
should  pray  God  to  call  me  to  Him,  that  I  might  rejoin 
the  two  persons  whom  I  have  lost  and  whom  I  loved 
better  than  anything  in  the  world." 


21O 


XIV 

THE    COMTE    CHARLES    DE    BOMBELLES 

WE  have  now  reached  the  year  1833.  The 
Baron  de  Marshall  had  only  accepted  the 
mission  of  redressing  grievances  and  re-estab- 
lishing order  in  the  Duchy  on  the  condition 
that  on  the  completion  of  his  task  he  might 
leave  the  country.  Having  fulfilled  his  under- 
taking he  requested  his  Government  to  relieve 
him  and  allow  him  to  return  to  Vienna. 

This  appointment  required  a  man  capable  of 
influencing  the  weak  character  of  the  Arch- 
duchess and  exacting  obedience  from  the  mem- 
bers of  the  household,  an  individual,  in  short, 
of  such  absolute  integrity  as  would  command 
the  respect  and  esteem  of  all. 

For  this  post  the  court  of  Vienna  selected  a 
man  of  courage  and  experience,  a  diplomatist 

with  every  desirable  qualification, 
o  2  211 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

M.  Denormandie  relates  in  his  racy  Sou- 
venirs that  one  evening,  during  the  Restora- 
tion, the  Marquis  Marc-Marie-Henri  de  Bom- 
belles,  Bishop  of  Amiens,  accompanied  by  two 
young  officers,  was  entering  the  drawing- 
room  at  an  embassy  when  the  groom-of-the 
chambers  asked  his  name.  "Announce  the 
Bishop  of  Amiens  and  his  sons." 1  But  per- 
ceiving the  foolish  and  stunned  expression  of 
the  groom-of-the-chambers  and  of  the  footmen 
who  lined  the  vestibule,  the  Marquis-Bishop 
corrected  himself  :  "  Then  pray  announce  the 
Bishop  of  Amiens  and  his  brother's  nephews." 

This  Bishop,  full  of  youth  and  spirit,  who 
wore  his  biretta  like  a  shako,  was  destined  to 
be  the  future  father-in-law  of  Marie-Louise. 

The  Bombelles  family,  established  in  Alsace 
in  the  eighteenth  century,  was  descended  from 
Salmon  de  Bombelles,  a  doctor  of  medicine, 

1  The  Marechal  de  Castellane  relates  as  follows : 
"One  evening,  at  M.  de  la  Ferronays,  the  Marquis- 
Bishop  played  valses  and  quadrilles  on  the  piano,  he 
even  danced  a  little  himself.  I  trust  that  the  good 
Bishop  will  not  have  been  eternally  damned  for  so 
trivial  an  offence."  See  Comte  Fleury.  "  Les  dernieres 
ann^es  du  Marquis  et  de  la  Marquise  de  Bombelles." 
Emil  Paul,  Paris,  1906,  p.  369. 

212 


of  Marie-Louise 

born  at  Sevres  in  the  Comte  d'Asti,  who  was 
naturalized  by  King  Charles  VIII. 

The  first  member  of  the  family  to  appear  in 
history  is  Henri-Francois,  Comte  de  Bom- 
belles,  a  French  general,  who  was  born  in 
1680  and  died  in  1760. 

His  son,  Marc-Marie-Henri,  born  at  Bitche, 
October  6,  1 744,  is  celebrated  for  his  extremely 
active  life,  full  of  vicissitude — he  was  succes- 
sively soldier,  diplomatist  and  bishop. 

Brought  up  with  the  Due  de  Bourgogne, 
brother  of  Louis  XVI,  he  entered  the  Royal 
Military  School  early  in  life.  He  took  part  in 
the  Seven  Years'  War,  and  became  a  Captain 
of  the  Berchiny  Hussars  at  the  end  of  the  cam- 
paign of  1763.  Fortune  smiled  upon  him.  At 
the  age  of  twenty-one  he  entered  diplomacy 
and  filled  the  post  of  secretary  of  embassy  at 
The  Hague,  Naples,  and  England  successively. 
He  was  appointed  ambassador  to  Lisbon  in 
1786  and  to  Venice  in  1789.  When  the  Re- 
volution broke  out  in  1789  Bombelles,  who  was 
an  ardent  royalist,  and  would  hold  no  post 
under  the  new  regime,  resigned  and,  thinking 

that  honour  was  equal  to  patriotism,  he  joined 

213 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

the  army  of  Brunswick  and  Frederic's  Old 
Grenadiers.  But  after  the  battle  of  Valmy  he 
was  obliged  to  say  good-bye  to  his  companions 
in  arms,  and  he  retired  to  Switzerland  quite 
discouraged,  and  lived  there  on  a  pension  of  a 
thousand  ducats  from  the  Queen  of  Naples, 
whom  he  kept  informed  of  the  movements  of 
the  coalition. 

In  1800  Bombelles,  who  was  not  a  man  to 
remain  long  idle,  again  entered  active  service 
in  Conde's  army,  but  soon  the  "  Corps  des 
Emigre's"  was  disbanded,  and  Bombelles 
retired  to  Austria. 

Very  much  distressed  at  the  death  of  his 
wife,  nee  Mile.  Angelique  de  Mackau,  who  left 
him  a  widower  with  four  children,  he  entered 
holy  orders  at  the  age  of  sixty-five,  and 
devoted  to  the  service  of  God  all  the  energy 
that  he  was  now  unable  to  exert  in  favour  of 
the  royal  house.  As  cure  of  Oppelsdorf,  in 
Prussian  Silesia,  in  1806,  and  as  Dean  of  Ober- 
Glogau  in  1814,  he  was  renowned  for  his 
geniality,  simple  piety,  Christian  courage  and 

charity. 

214 


of  Marie-Louise 

The  Empire  was  no  more.  At  the  Restora- 
tion Bombelles  returned  to  France.  In  1816 
he  was  appointed  Almoner  to  the  Duchesse  de 
Berry,  and  in  1819  became  Bishop  of  Amiens, 
where  he  proved  himself  to  be  "a  zealous 
organizer  and  perfect  dignitary  of  the  Church." 

He  died  on  February  22,  1822,  leaving  four 
children — 

A  daughter,  Caroline,  who  married  the 
Vicomte  Francois  Biandos  de  Casteja,  whose 
marriage  he  himself  had  solemnized. 

An  eldest  son,  Louis- Philippe,  who  was  born 
at  Ratisbonne  in  1780  and  who,  after  having 
tried  his  hand  as  a  soldier  at  Naples,  entered 
the  Austrian  service  as  ambassador  and  repre- 
sented Austria  in  Tuscany  and  Switzerland. 

A  second  son,  Henri-Francois,  who  was  born 
on  June  26,  1789,  and  became  the  tutor  of 
Francis-Joseph,  Emperor  of  Austria. 

The  youngest  son,  Charles-Rene,  born  at 
Versailles  on  November  6,  1784,  and  who  will 
take  us  back  to  our  subject  and  to  Parma.1 

1  It  will  be  seen  that  according  to  these  dates  the 
younger  son  would  be  five  years  older  than  his  elder 
brother. — Translator. 

215 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

While  still  quite  young  he  entered  the 
Austrian  Mittrowsky  regiment  of  infantry  as 
ensign,  and  became  captain  in  1804. 

In  1814  he  returned  to  Paris  as  aide-de- 
camp to  Prince  Schwarzenberg,  commander- 
in-chief  of  the  coalition  armies,  and  he  re- 
mained there  until  he  became  a  lieutenant  of 
infantry. 

We  must  now  quote  Mme.  du  Montet,  who 
has  given  the  Comte  de  Bombelles  a  very  im- 
portant place  in  her  Souvenirs,  every  page  of 
which  is  redolent  of  mirth,  imagination  and 
good  nature. 

"  Charles  de  Bombelles  is  a  straight- 
forward gentleman,  as  kind-hearted  as  his 
brothers,  but  more  ambitious.  He  combines 
the  commanding  manner  of  a  soldier  with 
the  charm  of  a  man  of  the  world  desirous 
of  making  himself  agreeable.  He  has  also, 
so  to  speak,  two  different  voices — the  one 
domineering,  alarming  and  over-powering  and 
the  other  tender  and  persuasive.  He  changes 
frequently  from  one  to  the  other,  and  the  con- 
trast is  very  puzzling.  These  two  voices — one 

216 


of  Marie-Louise 

might  almost  say  these  two  distinct  characters 
— were  on  occasions  most  useful.     As  a  diffi- 
dent, retiring  and  refined  man  he  had  a  charm 
for  many  women,  whereas  in  his  relations  with 
others  he  owed  more  than  one  society  success 
to  his  arrogant  and  over-bearing  manner.    With 
his  gruff  voice  he  led  people  to  believe  him 
capable  of  anything,  and  he  had  recourse  to 
more  tender  accents  when  whispering  soft  no- 
things into  the  ears  of  the  ladies  he  wished  to 
please.     It  was  quite  amusing  to  see  Charles 
de   Bombelles   imposing   conditions  on   Mme. 
de    Cavanagh,    whose    daughter    he    desired 
to    marry.      She    was    rich,    he    had    nothing, 
absolutely  nothing,  but,  after  having  made  him- 
self pleasant  and  agreeable  to  that  poor  Caro- 
line, he  adopted  a  defiant  attitude  when  speak- 
ing   to    the    mother.  .  .  .  'Twenty    thousand 
francs  a  year,  or  no  Bombelles !'     '  But  twenty 
thousand  francs  a  year  is  a  great  deal !     And 
you  have  nothing,'  his  friends  remarked  with 
diffidence.    '  What  do  you  call  nothing,'  he  ex- 
claimed,   or    rather    shouted    in    a    voice    of 

thunder.     '  And  how  about  my  name? ' 

217 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

"Love,  interest  and  wounded  vanity,  all 
had  a  part  in  these  negotiations,  which  event- 
ually  resulted  in  his  marriage  with  Mile,  de 
Cavanagh.  In  the  first  place  there  is  no  doubt 
he  was  in  love  with  his  fiancee,  secondly  her 
fortune  tempted  him,  and  thirdly  his  vanity 
was  hurt  because  he  was  not  making  a  more 
aristocratic  marriage. 

:<  The  young  Comtesse  de  Bombelles  was 
passionately  in  love  with  her  husband  and  with 
his  name.  She  did  not  live  long,  as  she  suc- 
cumbed to  an  affection  of  the  chest  at  the  age  of 
twenty-five.  She  was  not  pretty,  but  very 
pleasant.  She  died  at  Vienna  in  1819,  leaving 
two  children,  a  boy  and  a  girl.  In  her  extra- 
ordinary will  she  insisted  that  her  heart  should 
be  placed  in  a  leaden  box  and  that  her  husband 
should  always  have  it  with  him,  even  on  the 
shortest  journeys.  No  sooner  had  his  young 
wife  died  than  Charles  de  Bombelles  wrote  a 
note  to  my  husband,  piteously  appealing  for 
his  help  and  good  offices  as  a  friend.  This 
especially  referred  to  the  operation  of  remov- 
ing his  wife's  heart.  The  Comte  de  Bombelles 

218 


of  Marie-Louise 

tearfully  implored  my  husband  to  see  that  his 
wife's  last  wishes  were  duly  carried  out.  She 
expressed  a  desire  in  her  will  that  her  husband 
should  be  present !  But  he  had  not  the  courage 
to  obey  this  shockingly  inhuman  injunction, 
and  begged  M.  du  Montet  to  take  his  place. 
I  should  here  add  that  my  husband  was  filled 
with  indignation  when  he  saw  one  of  the  operat- 
ing surgeons,  teasing  and  romping  with  one  of 
the  servant  maids  while  this  ghastly  work  was 
being  carried  out.  Charles  de  Bombelles  had 
not  the  courage  to  keep  this  poor  heart  con- 
stantly with  him,  and  he  again  had  recourse 
to  M.  du  Montet,  begging  him  to  become  its 
custodian.  The  heart,  therefore,  remained 
with  us  until  Bombelles's  departure  for  France 
a  few  weeks  afterwards.  His  relations  having 
impressed  him  with  the  unseemliness  of  per- 
mitting his  wife's  heart  to  be  carried  and 
knocked  about  in  a  trunk,  it  has  now  happily 
found  a  Christian  resting-place  in  the  chapel 
of  the  Chateau  d'Ancy-le-Franc  in  Burgundy, 
the  residence  of  M.  de  Louvois,  cousin  of  the 

Marquis  de  Bombelles. 

219 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

"A  year  afterwards  Charles  de  Bombelles 
fell  desperately  in  love  with  a  beautiful  and 
rich  young  lady,  Mile,  de  Bartenstein.  It 
was  a  courtship  such  as  one  reads  of  in 
German  novels — long  sentimental  conversa- 
tions and  hysterical  letters.  Like  a  real 
heroine  of  romance,  Mile,  de  Bartenstein  pos- 
sessed a  secret,  was  vacillating,  and  repeatedly 
made  promises  only  to  break  them.  On  the 
other  hand  the  Comte  Charles  alternately 
hoped,  despaired  and  made  himself  as  dis- 
agreeable as  possible  during  the  excitement  of 
this  extraordinary  flirtation.  At  length  Mile, 
de  Bartenstein  recognized  that  she  really  only 
loved  him  in  deference  to  the  wishes  of  her 
parents.  This  she  conveyed  to  him  in  the  most 
charming  manner,  both  by  letter  and  speech — 
she  even  permitted  him  to  impress  a  chaste  kiss 
on  her  forehead,  and  then  married  a  good- 
natured,  fat,  rich  Hungarian  without  a  spark 
of  sentiment  in  his  composition." 

Bombelles  soon  consoled  himself,  and  took 
great  interest  in  the  education  of  his  children. 

As  he  had  now  nothing  to  think  of  but  his  own 

220 


of  Marie-Louise 

future,  he  applied  at  Vienna  for  the  appoint- 
ment of  chamberlain  to  the  Crown- Prince  with 
the  rank  of  colonel,  and  at  the  same  time  made 
application  in  Paris  for  a  court  appointment 
worth  6000  francs  a  year. 

"  Both  these  dignities  were  conferred  on  him 
at  the  same  moment,"  we  are  quoting  Mme. 
du  Montet,  "but  his  French  appointment 
arrived  several  days  earlier  than  the  other. 
However,  he  succeeded  in  persuading  the  Em- 
peror and  his  devoted  supporters,  among  whom 
was  the  Comte  de  Mercy,  that  his  father  had 
applied  in  Paris  on  his  behalf  absolutely  with- 
out his  knowledge,  and  that  he  had  not  dared 
to  incur  the  displeasure  of  so  excellent  a 
parent.  He  accepted  the  French  appointment, 
at  the  same  time  regretting  the  German 
honours.  But  most  extraordinary  of  all,  no  one 
seemed  to  resent  this  double  dealing  on  his 
part,  especially  in  a  country  where  offence  is 
quickly  taken  in  a  matter  of  this  sort.  He  left 
for  Paris  with  the  German  rank  of  colonel  in 
his  pocket  which,  however,  was  of  no  use  to 
him  in  France.  Seven  or  eight  years  later  he 


221 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

became  lieutenant-colonel  of  a  regiment 
quartered  at  Nancy." 

We  must  here  relate  an  incident  in  his  life 
which  will  give  us  an  insight  into  the  character 
of  the  man,  and  we  will  again  quote  the 
Baronne  du  Montet,  whose  simple  familiar 
language  is  characteristic  of  her  charming 
style. 

"  He  was  dining  with  us  one  day  at  Vienna. 
It  was,  I  think,  in  1819  or  1820.  The  con- 
versation turned  on  the  extraordinary  choice 
which  Louis  XVIII  had  made  in  the  appoint- 
ment of  Fouche.  A  regicide  for  a  minister ! 
This  seemed  to  me  an  act  of  high  treason. 
What  a  humiliating  surrender  to  the  Revolu- 
tion !  '  Since,'  I  exclaimed,  '  concessions  of 
this  description  are  apparently  so  unimportant 
in  the  eyes  of  the  King,  he  would  have  been 
better  advised  had  he  maintained  the  title  of 
Emperor  and  the  tricolour  flag  which  would 
have  been  much  appreciated  in  many  quarters  ! ' 
I  had  scarcely  uttered  these  words  when  the 
Comte  Charles  de  Bombelles  flew  into  a  violent 
passion.  '  The  tricolour  cockade,'  he  ex- 

222 


of  Marie-Louise 

claimed,  in  a  voice  of  thunder,  '  the  tricolour 
cockade  indeed !  Let  me  beg  of  you  to  give 
expression  to  these  sentiments  in  the  Faubourg 
St.  Germain,  and  you  will  soon  see  that  the  Fau- 
bourg St.  Germain  will  close  its  doors  to  you ! 
The  tricolour  cockade  !  '  He  stamped  his  foot 
on  the  floor,  trembled  all  over  and  became 
more  and  more  excited. 

'  Thank  you/  I  replied,  endeavouring  to 
make  myself  heard.  '  Has  your  Faubourg  St. 
Germain  never  accepted  the  tricolour  cockade  ? 
And  pray  what  cockade  did  the  chamberlains 
and  the  guards  of  honour  wear  ?  Answer  that, 
if  you  please/ 

"  M.  de  Bombelles  was  in  a  perfect  fury  and 
I,  with  a  shrug  of  the  shoulders,  continued,  '  I 
am  more  royalist  than  you,  for  I  should  have 
accepted  any  national  colours  chosen  by  the 
King,  especially  if  it  proved  to  be  a  prudent 
and  conciliatory  concession  to  the  people.  In- 
deed, anything  would  have  been  better  than 
the  appointment  of  Fouche  as  minister/  But 
he  now  lost  his  temper  to  such  an  extent  that 

M.    du    Montet,   who   had   at   first   smiled   at 

223 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

our  quarrel,  thought  it  was  high  time  to  in- 
terfere. 

'  That  evening  I  was  at  Mme.  de  Choteck's, 
where  I  related  the  details  of  this  dispute,  which 
caused  much  merriment.  I  was  in  the  most 
interesting  part  of  my  story  when  the  door 
opened  and  in  walked  the  Comte  Charles,  who, 
quickly  perceiving  that  the  laughter  was  all  on 
my  side,  approached  me  with  a  contrite  look 
and,  with  his  most  persuasive  voice,  asked  me 
to  make  peace.  I  laughingly  acceded  to  his 
request.  In  order  to  prove  his  gratitude, 
he  took  from  a  vase  of  flowers  on  one  of  the 
tables  a  beautiful  white  rose  and  a  red  and 
a  blue  flower  which,  together  forming  a 
tricolour  nosegay,  he  handed  to  me  with  a 
slightly  derisive  expression  on  his  face.  '  I 
will  not  accept  it  from  you/  I  exclaimed,  '  but 
be  sure  of  this,  that  if  the  King  offered  it  to 
me  I  should  accept  it,  for/  I  repeated,  'the 
colour  of  the  flag  makes  no  difference  to  me, 
provided  it  has  the  royal  sanction.  Moreover, 
my  belief  is,  that  kings  are  free  to  adopt  any 

colours  they  please,  more  especially  when  those 

224 


of  Marie-Louise 

colours  have  witnessed  such  glorious  days/ 
This  quarrel  ended  with  much  laughter  and 
was  the  success  of  the  evening.  Several  years 
afterwards,  as  I  said  just  now,  M.  de  Bom- 
belles  was  quartered  at  Nancy — it  was  at  the 
time  of  the  Revolution  of  July.  One  evening 
after  dinner  he  came  to  the  house  of  my  sister- 
in-law  Victoire,  where  we  used  all  to  meet. 
He  was  pale,  haggard  and  evidently  very  much 
disturbed.  In  order  that  we  should  not  observe 
the  tricolour  cockade  on  his  shako,  he  at  once 
placed  it  in  a  dark  corner  of  the  room.  He 
then  came  up  to  us,  hiding  his  face  in  his  hands 
and  burst  into  tears.  We,  of  course,  thought 
something  dreadful  had  happened,  that  the 
King  had  been  murdered,  in  fact  everything 
that  was  horrible  passed  through  our  minds. 

"  However,  in  a  broken  voice  he  told  us  that 
that  morning,  in  the  absence  of  his  colonel,  he 
had  been  ordered  to  make  his  men  wear  the 
tricolour  cockade. 

"  '  And  you  accepted  it !  '  I  cried.  '  Yes, 
you  accepted  it  from  the  blood-stained  hands 

of  revolution  and  mutiny  !  '     M.  de  Bombelles 
p  225 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

said  nothing  and  stood  dumfounded  before  us. 
'  Not  long  ago/  I  continued,  '  you  scouted  the 
very  idea  of  wearing  it  even  by  order  of  the  King  ! 
Do  you  remember  our  conversation  at  Vienna  ? ' 
1  Do  not  be  so  cruel.  I  beg  of  you  spare  me,' 
he  replied.  But  I  stamped  my  foot  on  the 
ground,  and  murmured  sorrowfully,  '  Oh !  if 
God  had  only  willed  that  Louis  XVIII  had 
given  this  cockade  to  the  army  you  would  not 
be  accepting  it  to-day  from  hands  reeking  with 
the  Blood  of  your  friends  of  the  royal  guards ! ' 
But  the  loyal  Comte  de  Bombelles  did  not  long 
wear  this  emblem  of  revolt  and  usurpation,  for 
he  left  the  service  of  France.  As  a  Royalist  of 
proud  descent,  faithful  to  the  cause  of  the 
vanquished,  and  determined  to  maintain  his 
allegiance  to  the  legitimate  King,  Bombelles 
left  Nancy  and  made  an  expedition  to  Italy, 
visiting  Turin  in  order  to  see  his  brother  Henri. 
He  then  went  to  Vienna,  where  he  found  his 
son  the  Comte  Louis,  who  was  serving  in  the 
Austrian  army,  and  his  daughter  Marie,  who 
had  been  adopted  by  his  sister-in-law." 

The  first  thing  that  Prince  Metternich  said 
226 


of  Marie-Louise 

on  seeing  Bombelles  again  was  :  "  Well,  Bom- 
belles,  are  you  not  sorry  that  you  left  us  ? " 
The  answer  did  not  encourage  the  Prince  to 
press  further  the  suggestions  he  desired  to 
make.  Prince  Metternich  realized  that  the 
Comte  de  Bombelles  would  be  more  easily  in- 
fluenced by  affection  than  by  ambition,  so  he 
returned  to  the  charge  in  another  way :  "  The 
appointment  of  Grand  Master  of  the  Court  of 
Parma,"  he  said,  "is  now  vacant  owing  to  the 
death  of  the  Comte  de  Neipperg.  It  is  a  post 
which  requires  a  man  strong  enough  to  in- 
fluence the  weak  character  of  the  Archduchess 
Marie-Louise,  to  be  master  of  her  small  court 
and  to  govern  her  States  with  honesty.  The 
Imperial  family  have  been  thinking  of  you, 
they  want  you  to  accept  the  appointment;  do 
not  refuse  it."  M.  de  Bombelles  was  greatly 
surprised,  at  first  declined  and  eventually  only 
yielded  from  very  noble  and  disinterested 
reasons.  Bombelles  left  for  Parma;  he  was 
then  forty-eight  years  of  age.  He  was  a  dis- 
tinguished-looking man  of  medium  height, 

somewhat  haughty  and  cold  in  manner,  and  his 
p  2  227 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

general  demeanour  was  serious  and  reserved. 
Exceptional  judgment,  consummate  tact,  cau- 
tious reticence,  great  prudence  in  the  conduct 
of  affairs,  and  above  all  a  great  charm  of 
manner,  combined  to  make  this  scion  of  a  noble 
house  a  most  remarkable  man.  He  was  also 
noted  for  his  religious  ideas  and  severe 
morals.  Marie-Louise  received  him  with 
pleasure  and  she  communicated  the  impression 
he  had  made  on  her  to  her  "  chere  Victoire  "  as 
follows :  "  I  am  quite  enchanted  with  the 
Comte  de  Bombelles  of  whom  I  was  so  afraid ; 
that  is  as  far  as  I  can  judge  in  so  short  a  time. 
He  has  all  the  qualities  one  could  wish  for 
and  is,  at  the  same  time,  firm  and  gentle  in  his 
manners.  He  is  such  a  worthy  man  that  I  am 
indeed  fortunate  to  have  secured  his  services." 
In  another  letter  she  says  jokingly  :  "He  is  a 
positive  saint,  but  oh  !  so  agreeable  in  society." 
The  position  of  the  Comte  de  Bombelles  when 
he  arrived  at  Parma  was  fraught  with  diffi- 
culties. "He  came,"  wrote  M.  Challiot,  the 

Archduchess's  steward,  "into  a  country   dis- 

228 


of  Marie- Louise 

tracted  by  feuds,  and  indignant  at  the  strong 
measures  which  it  had  been  necessary  to  take, 
in  order  to  sweep  away  the  former  abuses. 
The  civil  list  was  kept  at  1,200,000  francs  for 
the  ordinary,  and  300,000  francs  for  the  extra- 
ordinary expenditure.  By  degrees  he  filled  up  the 
court  appointments,  which  had  become  vacant- 
appointing  persons  who  had  earned  the  respect 
of  the  public.  The  accounts  were  kept  with 
severe  regularity.  A  budget  drawn  up  every  year 
assigned  to  each  department  an  amount  which 
was  never  exceeded ;  on  the  contrary  there  was 
very  often  a  surplus.  As  far  as  was  possible, 
everything  supplied  to  the  court,  and  all  works 
required  for  the  Ducal  residence,  were  issued 
for  tender  and  open  to  competition.  Each  de- 
partment was  minutely  organized,  all  expenses 
were  settled  and  paid  once  a  months  a  balance 
sheet  showing  receipts  and  expenditure  was 
drawn  up  yearly,  and  submitted  for  audit  to 
the  Treasury  of  the  Duchies,  before  being  pre- 
sented to  her  Majesty."  The  Comte  de  Bom- 
belles  re-organized  the  military  service  of  the 

229 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

Ducal  house,  which  consisted  of  a  company  of 
fifty  halberdiers,  commanded  by  the  senior 
adjutant  of  the  palace,  under  whose  orders 
were  three  adjutants  and  as  many  sub- 
adjutants.  He  also  re-organized  the  Body 
Guard  at  Piacenza.  But  the  most  important  of 
his  military  reforms  was  the  formation  of  two 
battalions  of  infantry,  one  of  artillery,  two 
companies  of  engineers  and,  lastly,  a  body  of 
gendarmes,  which  was  a  model  as  far  as  esprit 
de  corps,  efficiency,  discipline,  appearance  and 
equipment  were  concerned. 

The  Comte  de  Bombelles  "was  in  the  habit 
of  rising  very  early,  and  he  would  then  prepare 
the  day's  work,  especially  all  political  corre- 
spondence, at  home.  He  then  went  to  chapel 
for  mass,  after  which  he  waited  on  her  Majesty 
to  receive  her  orders.  At  9  a.m.  he  received 
in  his  study  the  steward  of  the  palace,  the 
military  members  of  the  household  and  the 
chiefs  of  departments,  all  of  whom  called  to 
take  their  instructions  for  the  day."  Having 

completed  his  work  in  the  morning,  Bombelles 

230 


of  Marie-Louise 

would  accompany  the  Archduchess  when  she 
drove  in  the  afternoon.  At  5  p.m.  he  con- 
ferred with  her  on  state  affairs,  and  in  the 
evening  after  dinner  he  accompanied  her  to  the 
theatre,  where  she  always  remained  for  two  or 
three  hours. 


231 


XV 

THE    THIRD   HUSBAND 

IN  September  1833  Albertine  was  seventeen 
years  old  and  of  an  age  to  marry. 

She  was  a  charming  girl,  as  tall  as  her  mother, 
kind  and  gentle,  "and  not  without  a  certain 
amount  of  natural  intelligence.  A  marriage 
between  her  and  Comte  Louis  Sanvitale,  cham- 
berlain to  Marie-Louise,  and  of  an  old  well- 
known  Italian  family,  had  long  been  contem- 
plated. 

Comte  Louis  was  born  at  Parma  on  Novem- 
ber 7,  1799. 

His  father  was  Comte  Stephane  Sanvitale, 
an  Italian  statesman  who  in  1815  had  a  great 
share  in  the  negotiations  which  were  then  carried 
on  with  a  view  to  expediting  the  return  from 
the  Louvre  of  the  pictures  taken  from  the 

Parma  Museum. 

232 


Marie-Louise 

This  was  a  true  marriage  of  affection,  having 
its  origin  in  the  childhood  of  the  two  young 
people,  and  Comte  Louis  was  very  much  in 
love. 

"  Sanvitale  is  so  much  in  love,"  wrote  Marie- 
Louise,  "that  he  will  see  and  hear  of  nothing 
but  his  fiancee" 

The  marriage  took  place  on  October  26,  1833, 
at  Piacenza,  quite  quietly,  notwithstanding  the 
high  rank  and  position  of  those  interested. 

The  sight  of  this  good-looking  couple  revived 
in  the  widow  of  Napoleon  and  Neipperg  vague 
longings  for  fresh  conquests  in  the  region  of 
love.  Something  of  youth  still  lingered  in  her 
heart,  and  she  pined  for  a  companion. 

She  was  not  long  in  making  a  choice  and, 
without  much  ado,  proposed  marriage  to  the 
new  Imperial  Commissioner  Bombelles,  who, 
as  he  had  never  thought  of  or  desired  anything 
more  than  the  political  inheritance  of  Neipperg, 
received  the  proposal  with  bewilderment. 

Marie-Louise  insisted.  With  her  soft  voice 
trembling  with  emotion,  so  well  did  she  plead 
her  cause,  that  she  succeeded  in  convincing 

233 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

Bombelles  that  their  marriage  was  the  one 
thing  necessary  to  ensure  her  lasting  happi- 
ness. 

Thus  it  was  that  Bombelles  yielded,1  and  on 
February  17,  i834,2  six  months  after  his  arrival 
in  Parma,  he  secretly  married  the  widow  of 
Neipperg — and  of  Napoleon. 

.Were  they  happy?  Were  they  fond  of  one 
another  ?  Did  this  marriage  bring  about  a  true 
companionship?  They  alone  could  have  an- 
swered these  questions — the  secret  was  theirs. 

1  If  he  consented  to  be  the  unacknowledged   hus- 
band of  a  princess,  it  was  certainly  against  his  wishes, 
of    which    his    high-mindedness    and    independence    of 
spirit  are  sufficient  guarantees."     Baronne  du  Montet, 
p.  296.    "  M.  de  Bombelles,  who  never  had  any  thought 
or  desire  to  succeed  the  Comte  de   Neipperg   except 
politically,  had,  without  wishing  it,  obtained  the  same 
influence  over  the  heart  of  his   sovereign  as  his  pre- 
decessor."   Comte  de  Falloux,  nephew  of  the  Comte  de 
Bombelles,  I.,  p.  195. 

2  It  is  Marie-Louise  herself  who  supolies  *he  date  of 
the  marriage  in  her  two  wills  of  May  25^^37,  and  of 
May  22,  1844.     "I  bequeath  to  the  Comte  Charles  de 
Bombelles  my  '  grand-maitre,  to  whom  I  was  secretly 
married  on  February  17,  1834.   ..."     Article  17  of  the 
second  will  (see  p.  277). 

234 


of  Marie-Louise 

In  any  case  a  mystery  appears  to  shroud  this 
alliance. 

In  her  letters  the  Duchess  of  Parma  makes 
scarcely  any  allusion  to  her  new  husband,  nor 
has  Bombelles  left  anything  to  show  what  his 
feelings  towards  his  wife  really  were. 

We  learn  from  her  correspondence  that  the 
ex-Empress  continued  to  occupy  herself  with 
journeys,  fetes  and  operas,  while  at  the  same 
time  she  did  not  neglect  her  chilblains,  her 
rheumatism  or  her  nerves ! 

M.  de  Falloux,  who  had  opportunities  of  see- 
ing something  of  Marie-Louise  and  her  third 
husband  a  few  years  after  their  marriage,  has 
devoted  a  chapter  to  a  description  of  their 
simple  lives,  which  he  might  have  headed  "  Phi- 
lemon and  Baucis." 

"  I  should  certainly  have  passed  through 
Parma  without  stopping  there,"  he  writes,  "  had 
I  not  been  sincerely  attached  to  the  Comte  de 
Bombelles  and  his  children.  Besides,  I  knew 
my  uncle's  kindness  of  heart  and  was  sure  that 
he  would  prompt  me  as  to  what  I  should  say 

235 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

in  the  event  of  my  having  an  interview  with  the 
Empress,  which  in  any  case  would,  of  course, 
be  a  very  short  one.  On  my  arrival  I  was 
horrified  to  learn  that  the  Archduchess  was  in 
the  country  with  the  Comte  de  Bombelles,  and 
that  a  court  carriage  was  waiting  to  convey  me 
to  the  imperial  residence  in  the  suburbs.  I 
obeyed  the  summons  with  fear  and  trembling, 
but  I  must  confess  that  these  feelings  were  at 
once  dispelled  not  only  by  my  uncle  but  by  the 
Archduchess  herself.  She  immediately  put  me 
at  my  ease  by  speaking  to  me  quite  naturally 
and  with  evident  pleasure  about  Paris.  Her 
conversation,  which  was  in  no  way  forced, 
frankly  revealed  a  pleasant  remembrance  of 
her  youthful  amusements  in  that  city. 

:c  The  Emperor  Napoleon,  an  admirer  of 
everything  great  in  all  phases  of  life,  delighted 
in  the  characters  of  our  classical  theatre,  in  the 
demi-gods  of  Racine  and  the  heroes  of  Cor- 
neille,  so  superior,  as  he  was  himself,  to  the 
ordinary  level  of  human  nature.  The  presence 

of  Talma  and  that  of  Mile.  Mars  were  essential 

236 


of  Marie-Louise 

at  all  official  functions.  This  was  especially 
the  case  with  regard  to  Talma,  as  the  Emperor, 
understanding  glory  better  than  sarcasm  or 
philosophy,  infinitely  preferred  Corneille  to 
Moliere.  The  Empress  made  no  such  distinc- 
tions and  she  gave  to  Mile.  Mars  the  place  of 
honour  in  her  memory.  '  Mile.  Mars  was  at 
Milan  a  short  time  ago/  said  she,  *  and  I  went 
at  once  to  see  her  act.  How  charming  she  is 
still !  What  a  voice !  And  what  a  fascinat- 
ing creature  !  '  The  Archduchess,  however, 
did  not  in  any  way  allude  to  the  Emperor  or 
the  Empire;  indeed,  she  talked  of  Paris  as 
a  stranger  might  who  had  enjoyed  the  oppor- 
tunity of  seeing  it  at  its  best. 

"  I  do  not  know  whether  the  Empress  ever 
was  beautiful;  but  at  any  rate  when  I  had  the 
honour  of  seeing  her,  her  looks  were  anything 
but  attractive.  She  stooped,  and  her  lower  lip 
was  thick,  one  of  the  characteristics  of  the 
Austrian  imperial  family,  and  very  drooping, 
which  made  her  look  older  than  she  was.  She 
was  very  simple  in  her  manners,  and  was 

237 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

accessible  to  all — a  traditional  custom  at  the 
Austrian  court.  She  was  not  a  brilliant  con- 
versationalist, but  spoke  good-naturedly  and 
was  never  spiteful.  Everything  about  her  be- 
tokened method,  goodwill  towards  her  subjects 
and  a  constant  desire  to  do  her  duty  by  her 
little  kingdom.  She  did  me  the  honour  of 
allowing  me  to  accompany  her  in  her  drives. 
On  these  occasions  I  witnessed  several  inci- 
dents which  were  really  quite  touching.  When 
clear  of  the  town  she  would  alight  from 
her  carriage,  visit  the  different  villages  and 
walk  along  the  high  roads  leaning  on  my 
uncle's  arm.  She  was  followed  by  a  servant 
carrying  a  large  bag  full  of  rolls  of  money. 
She  allowed  any  one  to  approach  her. 

I  saw  many  an  old  woman  kneel  before  her, 
kissing  her  hands  and  presenting  a  petition. 
She  would  bid  the  suppliant  rise,  and  cast  her 
eyes  rapidly  over  the  document.  If  it  was  a 
claim  on  her  generosity  she  handed  one  of  the 
little  rolls  of  money  out  of  the  big  bag;  if  the 

petition  contained  matter  not  so  easily  adjusted, 

238 


of  Marie-Louise 

she  promised  to  give  the  subject  her  considera- 
tion which,  I  am  assured,  she  always  did." 

Marie-Louise's  third  husband  made  use  of 
the  absolute  power  confided  in  him,  as  did 
Neipperg,  in  the  furtherance  of  the  highest 
interests  of  the  country.  Parma,  in  particular, 
is  indebted  to  Bombelles  for  various  useful 
institutions. 

Among  the  most  important  acts  of  his 
administration  are  the  rebuilding,  in  1836,  of 
the  Hospital  for  Incurables,  the  construction  of 
a  fine  road  between  Parma  and  Tuscany,  and 
of  the  road  from  Berceto  to  Borgotaro;  the 
building  of  bridges  over  the  Arda,  the  Nure, 
and  the  Tidone;  the  foundation  of  baths  at 
Tabiano  and  that  of  the  Marie-Louise  College, 
the  administration  of  which  was  placed  in  the 
hands  of  the  Barnabites. 

Parma  also  owes  to  Bombelles  an  immense, 
healthy,  well-ventilated  building,  in  which  were 
concentrated  all  the  butchers'  shops,  which 
until  then  had  been  scattered  over  the  town. 
This  market,  which  was  commenced  in  1836 

239 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

and  finished  the  following  year,  cost  Marie- 
Louise  200,000  francs. 

The  following  undertakings  are  also  asso- 
ciated with  the  memory  of  Bombelles :  the 
restoration  of  the  ducal  palace;  the  founda- 
tion at  Parma  of  a  military  school  to  which 
sixty  students  were  admitted  free  and  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  on  an  annual  payment;  the  new 
room  in  the  library,  which  was  finished  in  1834 
and  cost  55,000  francs;  and  the  foundation  at 
Parma  of  the  House  of  the  Brothers  of  Chris- 
tian Schools,  on  a  portion  of  the  site  of  the 
St.  Alexander  Convent. 

In  conclusion  we  must  not  forget  that  it  was 
Bombelles  who  introduced  the  sisters  of  the 
"  Congregation  de  St.  Vincent  de  Paul "  into 
the  civilian  hospitals,  and  that  it  was  he  who 
first  enlisted  the  services  of  the  ladies  of  the 
Sacre-Cceur  for  the  education  of  aristocratic 
and  middle-class  girls  in  the  various  schools. 
Fault  has  been  found  with  Bombelles  for  his 
religious  enthusiasm,1  which  no  doubt  had  some- 

o 

1  There   was   much  dissatisfaction   when   Mareshall 
was  replaced  by  the  Comte  Charles  de  Bombelles  .  .  . 

240 


of  Marie-Louise 

thing  to  do  with  Marie-Louise's  latest  attitude 
towards  religion.  One  thing  is  at  any  rate 
certain,  that  the  reign  of  the  "  Congregation  " 
at  Parma  became  absolute  under  his  adminis- 
tration. 

a  disciple  of  Loyola,  who  brought  an  amount  of  clerical- 
ism into  his  mode  of  administration,  which  excited  an 
ever-increasing  antagonism  towards  him  in  the  minds 
of  all  intelligent  and  patriotic  men.  Carlo  Malaspina, 
pp.  26  and  27. 


241 


XVI 

THE  ADVENTURES    OF    A   TENOR 

IF  we  are  to  believe  what  we  are  told, 
there  is  no  doubt  that  Marie-Louise's  life 
was  not  at  this  period  free  from  questionable 
incidents. 

The  Comte  de  Bombelles  could  not  always 
be  with  her,  for  his  duties  obliged  him  to  visit 
the  different  portions  of  the  Duchies,  and 
therefore  occasionally  left  the  heart,  imagina- 
tion and  feelings  of  Marie-Louise  too  much  to 
their  own  devices. 

Although  the  Archduchess  had  long  since 
reached  the  age  when  women  should  retire 
gracefully  from  the  field  of  romance,  and  re- 
pent of  their  past  in  a  confessional,  her  nature 
was  still  subject  to  powerful  impulses. 

The  whole  of  Parma,  at  that  time,  had  gone 

mad    about    a    young    tenor,    Jules-Fran^ois- 

242 


Marie-Louise 

Lecomte,   who   was   also   the   admired   of   all 
Parisian  admirers  and  a  literary  Bohemian. 

He  was  below  the  average  height,  his  hair 
and  whiskers  were  black,  his  complexion  was 
dark  and  colourless.  He  had  a  good  figure, 
charming  manners  and  was  particularly  dis- 
tinguished-looking. His  father  was  a  naval 
officer  and  Jules  was  born  at  Boulogne  on  June 
27,  1 8 10.  At  first  he  entered  the  Navy,  and 
after  several  prolonged  cruises  attained  the 
rank  of  first  lieutenant.  In  1832  he  left  the 
Navy  and  tried  to  make  his  mark  in  literature. 
Novels  relating  to  naval  adventure  were  then 
the  fashion,  which  gave  him  an  opportunity  of 
making  use  of  his  professional  knowledge. 
His  first  book  was  entitled  Pratique  de  la 
peche  de  la  Baleine  sans  les  mers  du  Sud. 
This  was  followed  by  Relation  d'un  naufrage, 
LJ  Abordage,  Bras  de  fer,  L'lle  de  la  Tortue, 
a  Maritime  Dictionary,  Lettres  sur  les  Ecrivains 
franfais',  the  latter,  which  he  published  under 
the  pseudonym  van  Engelgom,  contain  many 
very  spicy  anecdotes  concerning  the  authors  of 

the  day.     At  the  same  time  he  contributed  to 
Q  2  243 


The  Marriage    Ventures 

the  Independance  beige,  and  founded  the 
Navigateur,  the  Revue  maritime,  and  La 
France  maritime. 

In  1837  an  incident,  as  unfortunate  as  it  was 
unexpected,  suddenly  checked  the  youthful 
novelist's  career. 

Jules  Lecomte,  when  very  young,  had  once 
lost  his  head  "to  an  extent  which  led  him  to 
commit  a  very  serious  fault."  To  help  a  poor 
demi-mondaine  he  had  light-heartedly  "  signed 
a  bill  for  a  hundred  francs,"  not  an  unpardon- 
able sin  had  he  not  "used  another  person's 
name."  This  unfortunate  transaction  brought 
him  within  the  meshes  of  the  criminal  law. 
"  It  would  have  been  not  only  easy,  but  a 
simple  act  of  humanity,"  wrote  one  of  his  most 
intimate  friends,  Charles  Monselet,  "not  to 
carry  the  matter  to  extremes.  The  interested 
parties  were  begged  and  implored  to  hold  their 
hands  before  the  trial  came  on,  and  had,  of 
course,  been  indemnified.  All  this  was  of  no 
avail.  They  had  decided  to  ruin  Jules 

Lecomte — and   ruined   he   was.      This   young 

244 


JULES  LECOMTE. 


of  Marie-Louise 

and  rising  author  was  sent  to  prison.  His 
prosecutors  would  show  no  mercy." 

Jules  Lecomte  was  compelled  to  go  abroad, 
in  order  to  plead  outlawry.  He  took  up  his 
abode  in  Italy  and,  being  without  means,  ap- 
peared as  a  tenor  at  Liege,  Munich,  Vienna, 
Venice  and  finally  at  Parma. 

Marie-Louise  saw  him  one  evening,  looking 
young  and  bright  behind  the  glare  of  the  foot- 
lights with  a  charming  presence  and  a  voice 
full  of  passionate  emotion.  As  soon  as  she  set 
eyes  on  the  handsome  young  singer  the  Arch- 
duchess resolved  that  he  should  be  counted  as 
one  of  her  admirers. 

She  sent  for  him  to  court,  made  him  sing  to 
her  alone,  "a  slavery  which  was  both  pleasant 
and  exacting,  for  the  blood  of  Lucrezia  Borgia 
flowed  in  Marie-Louise's  veins." 

Jules  Lecomte,  like  all  tenors,  enjoyed  life 
and  was  himself  popular.  Accustomed  to 
make  love  to  young  ladies  of  the  stage  and 
others  of  the  same  standing  he,  when  tempted 
by  the  suggestive  encouragement  of  this 

245 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

Beatrice  of  fifty,  was  no  doubt  curious  to  com- 
pare the  innocent  verdure  of  spring  with  the 
mature  warmth  of  autumn. 

Thus  it  came  about  that  one  fine  morning 
Souverain,  Lecomte's  publisher,  received  a 
letter  from  Italy — a  masterpiece  in  ten  lines — 
which  brought  expressions  of  surprise  and 
amazement  to  the  face  of  the  good  man  :  "  Yes, 
my  dear  Souverain  (how  well  your  name  suits 
my  story !)  I  am  Napoleon's  successor.  It  is 
not  known  at  the  Tuileries,  but  I  know  it  here, 
at  Parma.  I  sang  to  Marie-Louise,  and  she 
kept  me  to  supper — which  lasted  all  night. 
When  I  awoke  in  the  morning  I  fancied  myself 
the  Emperor !  You  must  not  be  too  proud  of 
your  marine  novelist.  If  I  have  boarded  a 
vessel,  it  was  in  the  capacity  of  a  tenor  and  not 
as  a  novelist.  Cupid  said  :  '  One  must  have  two 
strings  to  one's  bow.' ' 

Arsene  Houssaye,  who  saw  this  letter,  com- 
mented wittily  on  it  in  his  Confessions,  and 
wrote  :  "  Marie-Louise  did  not  love  the  Em- 
peror, but  she  adores  Jules  Lecomte.  The 

chamberlains  address  him  in  the  third  person : 

246 


of  Marie-Louise 

'  Would  Monsieur  le  Comte  like  to  do  this  or 
that? '  [being  a  play  on  words  which  cannot  b'e 
rendered  in  English  translation].  There  is  but 
one  ruling  spirit  in  the  palace — that  of  the 
Archduchess."  This  caustic  writer  goes  on  to 
say :  ;'  The  following  would  be  a  suitable  in- 
scription for  her  tomb,  '  Here  lies  one  who 
commenced  with  an  Emperor  and  ended  with 


a  tenor.' 


Much  as  we  dislike  to  admit  that  the  ex- 
Empress,  who  was  nearly  fifty  and  had  no 
longer  the  temptations  and  feelings  of  youth  as 
an  excuse,  saddened  the  last  years  of  her  life 
by  an  old-age  intrigue,  there  is  no  doubt  that 
the  relations  between  her  and  Jules  Lecomte 
were  of  a  most  intimate  nature.  His  stay  at 
Parma,  and  at  the  Court,  gave  rise  to  all  sorts 
of  gossip  and  scandal.  Indeed,  this  indiscreet 
Lovelace  has  given  us  a  minute  description  of 
the  "  private  apartments "  of  the  sovereign. 
"  In  them,"  he  writes,  "  is  a  large  collection  of 
portraits  of  members  of  the  House  of  Austria 
painted  by  Isabey  at  Vienna.  There  are  also 

a  picture  of  the  Duchesse  de  Montebello,  one 

247 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

of  the  Comtesse  Lazanska,  former  governess 
to  the  young  Austrian  archduchess,  and  many 
portraits  of  the  King  of  Rome,  both  in  paint- 
ing and  sculpture.  On  the  writing-table  is  a 
simple  little  bonbonniere  on  which  the  imperial 
child  is  represented  praying  to  the  Almighty 
for  the  welfare  of  France."  Jules  Lecomte, 
for  whom  nothing  was  secret  in  the  private 
apartments  of  Marie-Louise,  also  mentions  a 
fine  picture  of  Napoleon  by  Gerard.  "  It  is  a 
full-face  bust  in  the  uniform  of  the  Chasseurs 
de  la  Garde,  and  is  in  the  little  gallery  in 
Marie-Louise's  private  apartment." 

Jules  Lecomte  remained  at  Parma  for 
"  several  months."  On  his  return  to  Paris,  not 
earlier  than  1 848,  he  again  took  up  his  pen  and 
resumed  an  active  part  in  editing  the  political 
and  literary  portion  of  the  Independence  beige, 
in  which  he  started  "  Les  Courriers  de  Paris," 
which  had  a  great  success.  But  in  spite  of  his 
undoubted  and  remunerative  literary  achieve- 
ments the  author's  life  was  much  troubled. 

That  fatal  imprisonment  was  ever  before 
him,  and  his  relentless  enemies  never  wearied 

248 


of  Marie-Louise 

of  casting  it  in  his  face,  both  in  newspapers  and 
magazines.  Added  to  these  misfortunes,  his 
health  gave  way.  Changes  of  temperature  had 
a  strange  effect  on  his  constitution,  and  mental 
troubles  worried  him  even  more,  his  whole 
character  being  influenced  by  them.  His 
manner  became  abrupt  and  nervous,  and  his 
appearance  morose  and  dejected.  There  was 
a  moment  when  Jules  Lecomte  thought  that  he 
had  quite  rehabilitated  himself.  In  August 
1860  he  was  awarded  the  Montyon  prize  by 
the  Academic  Franchise  for  a  book  entitled 
La  charite  a  Paris.  He  was  at  once  received 
in  society  and  welcomed  in  literary  circles. 
Happier  days  seemed  in  store  for  the  unhappy 
author,  who  for  twenty  years  had  been  the 
object  of  so  much  hatred.  Ill  luck,  however, 
pursued  him.  The  illness  from  which  he  had 
suffered  so  long  was  an  incurable  one — con- 
sumption complicated  by  a  disease  of  the 
liver. 

For  seven  years  this  romantic  writer,  who 
possessed  an  inexhaustible  fund  of  imagina- 
tion, and  a  truly  French  wit,  edited  the 

249 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

"  Chronique    hebdomadaire "    in    the    Monde 
lllustre, 

On  the  very  day  of  his  death  the  "  Courrier 
de  Paris"  appeared  in  the  Independence 
beige  over  his  signature,  one  of  his  friends 
having  undertaken  to  finish  it,  as  he  was  no 
longer  able  to  hold  a  pen.  ...  It  was  the  end. 
The  poor  creature  was  panting  for  breath,  and 
the  words  he  tried  to  utter  faded  away  on  his 
colourless  lips.  Until  the  end,  however,  his 
brain  remained  clear  and  calm.  Four  hours 
before  his  death  he  had  strength  to  murmur, 
"  Has  Yriarte  come  for  my  article  for  the 
Monde  lllustre  ?  ...  It  is  quite  ready." 

He  died  in  his  "  Ranelagh  "  cottage  in  Paris 
on  April  22,  1864,  at  nine  in  the  evening  and 
was  buried  at  Montmartre  two  days  after- 
wards. 

His  funeral  was  attended — not  by  a  crowd, 
but  by  a  few  of  the  most  prominent  men  in 
literature,  all  of  whom  wished  to  follow  him  to 
his  last  resting-place.  Alberic  Second,  his  best 
friend,  was  their  spokesman,  and  expressed  a 

few  words  of  final  farewell  to  the   departed 

250 


of  Marie-Louise 

colleague,  praying  that  he  might  rest  in 
peace.1 

Charles  Monselet  relates  in  his  Memoir es 
that  when  they  opened  Lecomte's  will  the 
following  touching  words  were  found  :  "  I  sur- 
render my  soul  to  the  Almighty  who  knows 
what  I  have  suffered." 

The  town  of  Boulogne,  like  a  kind  and  in- 
dulgent mother,  proved  her  readiness  to  forget 

1  Jules  Lecomte  was  buried  in  the  Montmartre 
cemetery  in  ground  granted  for  five  years  only.  On 
November  9,  1864,  a  certain  M.  Philipps  of  61  Rue  de 
la  Victoire  purchased  a  freehold  grave  in  which  to  lay 
to  rest  the  remains  of  the  celebrated  journalist. 

The  stone  slab  under  which  he  lies  is  in  the  agth 
division,  3rd  line,  No.  26,  Avenue  de  la  Croix.  At  the 
time  we  were  making  researches,  a  thick  layer  of  moss 
which  covered  the  stone  rendered  it  impossible  to 
decipher  any  inscription.  After  having  had  the  slab, 
which  was  enclosed  by  a  light  iron  fence,  properly 
cleaned  and  scraped,  we  were  able  to  read  the  follow- 
ing inscription  on  the  grave-stone  of  one  who  sleeps 
and  is  forgotten — 

JULES  LECOMTE 

AUTEUR  DE 

LA  CHARITE  A  PARIS 

OUVRAGE  COURONNE  PAR  I/AcADEMIE 

DECEDE 
DANS  SA  CINQUANTE-QUATRIEME  ANNEE 

Lfi    22    AVRIL    1864. 
251 


Marie-Louise 

the  single  youthful  fault  of  one  of  her  children, 
and  heedless  of  the  outcries  of  his  enemies, 
conferred  a  public  honour  to  his  memory  by 
giving  to  one  of  her  streets  the  name  of  this 
man  of  letters  who  held  so  prominent  a  place 
in  literature,  and  whose  heart,  little  understood, 
had  indeed  drunk  deeply  of  the  cup  of  bitter- 
ness. 


252 


XVII 

THE    DEATH    OF    MARIE-LOUISE 

As  she  advanced  in  years  the  habits  of 
Marie-Louise  became  more  simple  and  regular. 
Every  morning — we  are  again  indebted  to 
Jules  Lecomte  for  all  these  details — at  about 
nine  o'clock  the  "  Grand-Maitre "  called  to 
receive  her  instructions  for  the  day.  At  the 
same  time  Bombelles  handed  in  petitions  and 
reports,  etc.,  and  conferred  with  her  as  to  the 
business  of  the  court  and  household.  This 
was  followed  by  a  "short  stroll  in  a  garden" 
which  communicated  with  her  apartment,  and 
in  which  was  "a  small  green-house  full  of 
flowers,  and  an  aviary,  to  the  occupants  of  which 
she  was  wont  to  distribute  tempting  morsels." 
On  returning  home  Marie-Louise  occupied 
herself  "  with  music,  reading  or  work."  In  the 
afternoon  she  received  and  conferred  with  the 
heads  of  the  various  departments,  military, 

253 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

finance,  home  and  foreign  affairs.  She  ap- 
peared for  "  an  hour  or  two "  at  the  theatre 
every  evening.1 

1  J.  Lecomte,  pp.  79  and  80.  At  the  risk  of  being 
accused  of  giving-  undue  attention  to  mere  trifles,  we 
will  add  a  few  details  explanatory  of  the  Archduchess's 
mode  of  life  at  this  period  of  her  history. 

In  the  Modena  Library  are  kept  all  the  menus  of  the 
dinners  served  to  the  sovereign  from  December  19, 
1846,  to  June  6,  1847,  the  majority  of  which  show  the 
alterations  or  additions  made  in  her  own  handwriting. 
We  give  a  few  of  them  below  which  we  have  chosen 
haphazard  and  of  different  dates.  They  show  precisely 
how  Marie-Louise  fared  during  the  last  years  of  her 
life. 

Menu  du  diner  de  Sa  Majeste  du  29  D^cembre 
1846 :  Le  potage  panade  a  1'allemande. — Le  bceuf 
sauce  Raifort  au  bouillon. — Les  cervelles  frittes  (sic) 
garnies  de  carottes. — Le  poulet  r6ti. — Brand  Nockerln 
(ajoute  au  crayon  de  la  main  de  la  duchesse).  Fait 
par  Rousseau. 

Menu  du  diner  de  Sa  Majest6  du  2  Janvier  1847  :  Le 
potage  Semel-Knodeln  (Potage  avec  une  sorte  de  bou- 
lettes  de  mie  de  pain). — Le  boeuf  sauce  Raifort  au 
bouillon. — Les  cervelles  frittes  (sic)  aux  choux-raves. — 
La  grive  aux  petits  croutons. — Le  poulet  roti. — Cro- 
quettes de  Roy  (ajoutees  au  crayon  de  la  main  de  la 
duchesse).  Fait  par  Rousseau. 

Menu  du  diner  de  Sa  Majest6  du  14  Mars  1847  :  Le 
potage  de  Schlich-krapfen  (Potage  oil  entre  une  sorte 
de  boulettes  au  vin  blanc). — Le  breuf  sauce  Raifort  a 
la  creme. — Les  foies  de  poulet  frits  aux  epinards  ou 

254 


of  Marie-Louise 

While  Marie-Louise  was  thus  spending  a 
peaceful  and  quiet  life  in  her  little  duchy,  the 
revolution  was  setting  Europe  ablaze.  Even 
at  Parma  a  party  of  malcontents  had  for  a  long 
time  been  intriguing  against  the  prime  minister, 
and  took  every  opportunity  of  sowing  the  seeds 
of  disaffection. 

aux   pointes   d'asperges. — La  grive   rdtie. — Le   poulet 
r6ti. — Ris  (sic)  au  lait.     Fait  par  Rousseau. 

Menu  du  diner  de  Sa  Majeste  du  12  Avril  1847  :  Le 
potage  de  Mehl-Schoberln  (Pates  en  forme  de  losanges). 
— Le  boeuf  sauce  Raifort  a  la  creme. — Les  foies  de 
poulet  frits  aux  carottes  de  Colorno. — La  cotelette  de 
veau. — Le  poulet  roti. — Les  asperges  au  supreme  de 
Parme. — Gries  Nocken  au  lait  (Nocken  a  la  semoule). 
— (ajoute  au  crayon  de  la  main  de  la  duchesse).  Fait 
par  Spies  fils. 

Menu  du  diner  de  Sa  Majeste  du  16  Avril  1847  :  Le 
potage  panade  a  1'allemande. — Le  boeuf  sauce  Raifort 
a  la  creme. — Les  croquettes  fines  ou  Bofosen  de  volaille 
(raye). — La  cervelle  fritte  (sic)  aux  6pinards. — La 
poitrine  de  veau  farcie  a  1'allemande  (ray£e). — Ragout 
de  veau  a  1'allemande  (ajoute  au  crayon  de  la  main  de 
la  duchesse). — Le  poulet  roti. — Les  asperges  de  Parme, 
au  supreme.  Fait  par  Spies  fils,  petite  cuisine. 

We  gather  from  these  menus,  which  are  somewhat 
elaborate  for  everyday  fare,  that  the  Archduchess  had 
a  great  weakness  for  beef  with  horse-radish  sauce, 
and  that  she  was  certainly  blessed  with  an  excellent 
digestion.  Manoscritti  Campori,  Biblioteca  Estense 
(Modena). 

255 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

Since  the  spring  of  1847  tne  indication  of 
approaching  revolution  had  gradually  become 
more  marked  and  menacing. 

In  Italy  Gregory  XVI  had  recently  died, 
and  the  Romans,  whom  he  had  ruled  with  a 
rod  of  iron,  breathed  again. 

Pius  IX,  in  accordance  with  the  hopes  he 
had  inspired,  appointed,  as  Secretary  of  State, 
Cardinal  Gizzi,  the  true  representative  of 
liberal  ideas  in  the  Sacred  College  and,  acting 
on  his  advice,  reduced  the  expenses  of  the 
court,  taxed  the  clergy  and  instituted  reform 
in  the  civil,  criminal  and  penal  laws  of  the 
Roman  States. 

A  wave  of  liberalism  was  rising  in  Italy. 

The  plan  of  campaign  of  the  revolutionary 
party  in  Parma  was  to  organize  noisy  demonstra- 
tions to  emphasize  the  joy  of  the  people  at  the 
news  of  the  reforms  in  Rome,  with  the  object  of 
deceiving  public  opinion.  We  here  quote  an 
eye-witness  of  these  events  :  "  It  commenced 
with  verses,  chants  and  hymns  to  the  Holy 
Father,  then  followed  distribution  of  bread  to 
the  poor  in  his  honour.  .  .  .  Her  Majesty  the 

256 


of  Marie-Louise 

Empress  Marie-Louise  left  Parma  in  the  month 
of  June  for  the  waters  of  Ischl,  which  she  was 
accustomed  to  take  every  year  for  the  benefit 
of  her  health.  The  Comte  de  Bombelles,  as 
he  took  leave  of  the  authorities,  seemed  instinc- 
tively to  recognize  the  presence  of  those  vague 
simmerings  which  always  precede  great 
political  crises,  and  recommended  the  utmost 
vigilance  and  circumspection  in  the  conduct  of 
affairs.  His  fears  were  soon  realized. 

"Shortly  after  her  Majesty's  departure,  in 
order  to  give  a  fitting  termination  to  the  preced- 
ing demonstrations,  the  revolutionary  com- 
mittee at  Parma  ordered  a  general  illumination 
of  the  town — the  pretext,  of  course,  being  the 
reforms  instituted  by  the  Holy  See.  .  .  .  The 
police,  although  duly  warned,  were  unable 
openly  to  oppose  this  fresh  demonstration  .  .  . 
so  the  illuminations  took  place.  Cheers  and 
songs  developed  into  cries  of  sedition.  Scenes 
of  disorder  and  tumult  followed,  until  the 
soldiers  were  called  upon  to  compel  obedience 
to  the  law. 

"  The  plan  of  campaign  was  changed,  and  the 
*  257 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

agitators  decided  that  the  soldiers  who  had 
done  their  duty  should  be  held  up  to  public 
execration  and  pronounced  to  be  hired  assas- 
sins. .  .  .  The  Comte  de  Bombelles,  who  was 
with  the  Empress  at  Vienna,  showed  no  hesita- 
tion. At  the  first  news  of  the  disorders  he 
returned  to  Parma.  .  .  .  He  never  flinched, 
but  immediately  declared  himself  against  the 
organizers  of  the  illuminations,  and  approved 
the  action  of  the  military  authorities.  It  was  a 
very  anxious  time  for  the  Comte  de  Bombelles's 
friends  and  supporters,  for  ominous  rumours 
respecting  his  personal  safety  were  heard 
on  all  sides.  Letters  and  anonymous  notes 
were  sent  to  him  and  to  his  friends,  giving 
information  as  to  plans  for  his  assassination. 
Bombelles  remained  firm  and  resolute,  and 
took  measures  to  allay  the  agitation  without 
giving  way  in  the  slightest  degree  to  popular 
clamour." 

When  order  had  been  re-established  Bom- 
belles rejoined  the  Empress  at  Ischl. 

The  tumult  being  at  an  end,  and  having 
finished  her  "cure"  at  the  waters,  Marie- 

258 


of  Marie-Louise 

Louise  decided  to  return  to  Parma,  where  she 
arrived  on  November  17. 

Thursday,  December  9,  being  a  fine  day,  the 
Archduchess  desired  to  take  her  usual  drive, 
but  Bombelles,  having  to  attend  a  review  at  the 
Citadel,  was  unable  to  accompany  her. 

At  twelve  o'clock,  before  getting  into  her 
carriage,  Marie- Louise  complained  to  Mme. 
Zobel,  her  lady-in-waiting,  that  she  had  passed 
rather  a  bad  night,  and  had  been  awakened 
several  times  by  a  pain  on  the  right  side  of  her 
chest.  She  did  not,  however,  attach  any  im- 
portance to  it,  and  entered  the  carriage  with 
Mme.  Zobel  and  the  Comte  dal  Verme, 
chamberlain-in-waiting. 

In  a  by-road  outside  the  Nuova  Porta,  one 
of  the  horses  shied  at  a  wagon.  Marie-Louise, 
terrified,  hurriedly  alighted  and  declared  her 
intention  of  walking  home,  but  her  fright 
passed  off  and  she  again  entered  the  carriage 
and  continued  her  drive. 

At  two  o'clock,  as  she  was  sitting  down  to 
breakfast,  the  Archduchess  began  to  shiver, 

and  could  scarcely  eat  any  food. 
R  2  259 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

Dr.  Fritsch,  who  chanced  to  call  at  half -past 
four  without  having  been  summoned,  found  her 
very  feverish  and  begged  her  to  go  to  bed. 
Notwithstanding  her  doctor's  injunctions,  she 
insisted  on  presiding  over  a  council  of  her 
ministers,  and  at  eight  in  the  evening  she  re- 
ceived, as  usual,  the  Comte  de  Bombelles,  the 
Bishop  of  Parma,  the  Marquise  Pallavicino, 
the  Chamberlain-in-waiting,  Colonel  Kavaczay 
and  her  private  librarian,  the  Abbe  Mislin. 

Marie-Louise  showed  no  signs  of  indisposi- 
tion during  the  evening.  Dr.  Fritsch,  however, 
suspecting  a  return  of  fever,  felt  her  pulse, 
and  at  once  ordered  her  to  bed.  She  obeyed — 
never  to  rise  again. 

Before  midnight  the  pain  in  her  side  became 
acute.  Fits  of  coughing  followed,  and  sud- 
denly the  fever  increased  in  a  most  "alarming 
manner." 

At  half-past  twelve  Dr.  Fritsch  applied 
leeches  to  the  painful  spot,  and  pronounced 
the  illness  to  be  "rheumatic  pleurisy." 

Marie-Louise  was  aware  of  her  danger : 
260 


of  Marie- Louise 

"  Mark  my  words,"  she  said,  "  I  shall  never 
rise  again  and  in  a  week's  time  I  shall  be  carried 
away  from  here." 

The  bleeding  was  profuse,  and  diminished 
the  acuteness  of  the  intercostal  pain.  The  im- 
provement was  maintained  during  the  entire 
day  and  night  of  the  loth. 

Marie-Louise  had  requested  Bombelles  to 
write  to  Vienna,  informing  the  imperial  family 
of  her  illness. 

On  the  nth,  towards  evening,  the  fever 
again  became  more  severe.  Another  applica- 
tion of  leeches  was  made  at  eight  o'clock  which 
induced  profuse  perspiration,  lasting  the  entire 
night,  but  bringing  no  relief. 

The  night  was  troubled  and  sleepless.  At 
seven  o'clock  the  following  morning  leeches 
were  applied  for  the  third  time,  but  the  fever 
continued  with  irregular  paroxysms  and  inter- 
vals of  relief. 

On  Sunday,  December  12 — her  birthday— 
Marie-Louise,  the  first  thing  in  the  morning, 

sent  for  the  Bishop  of  Parma. 

261 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

"At  nine  o'clock  Monsignor,  after  having 
confessed  her,  told  her  Majesty  that,  as  she 
had  not  fasted,  she  could  not  take  the  Holy 
Communion  as  a  simple  act  of  religious  devo- 
tion, and  that  he  did  not  consider  her  in  suffi- 
cient danger  to  receive  the  viaticum." 

Then,  as  a  token  of  her  feelings  of  repent- 
ance, piety  and  religion,  the  Archduchess  made 
the  following  declaration  :  "  I  forgive  all  who, 
under  my  peaceful  government,  have  filled  my 
heart  with  pain  and  caused  me  so  much  grief 
and  anxiety.  I  hope  that  God,  in  His  mercy, 
will  pardon  and  enlighten  them,  and  that  they 
will  serve  their  new  sovereign  with  obedience, 
respect  and  fidelity." 

A  remarkable  improvement  was  ^suddenly 
observed  in  the  condition  of  the  patient — like 
the  bright  flicker  of  an  expiring  light. 

Marie-Louise  felt,  indeed,  so  much  better 
that  day,  that  she  actually  commenced  making 
plans  for  her  convalescence.  She  busied  her- 
self with  some  church  embroidery  she  was 

working  for  Maria-Zell,  whither  she  had  made 

262 


of  Marie-Louise 

a  pilgrimage  in  the  course  of  the  summer.  Above 
all,  she  was  looking  forward  to  her  Christmas 
tree — a  custom  she  had  always  adhered  to,  and 
which  is  universal  in  German  families.  She 
had  brought  with  her  from  Vienna  a  mass  of 
presents,  which  she  had  chosen  herself,  and 
desired  to  distribute  on  Christmas  Day.  She 
said,  "  If  I  am  not  well  enough  to  have  my 
Christmas  tree  in  the  evening,  I  will  have  it 
next  day." 

The  improvement  was  maintained  on  the 
1 2th,  both  the  fever  and  cough  having  greatly 
diminished.  Nevertheless,  Dr.  Fritsch  pro- 
posed to  the  Empress  that  he  should  call  two 
of  his  colleagues  into  consultation.  Marie- 
Louise  was  only  induced  to  consent  by  the 
doctor's  "statement  that  his  responsibility  was 
very  great,  and  that  his  duty  to  the  State  and 
her  Majesty's  family  rendered  such  a  consulta- 
tion necessary. 

He  suggested  Dr.  Fragni,  the  leading 
physician  in  Parma,  and  Dr.  Geromini,  pro- 
fessor of  clinical  medicine. 

263 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

At  one  o'clock  Marie-Louise  signed  the 
decree  empowering  her  ministers  to  act  as  a 
Council  of  Regency.  The  consultation  took 
place  at  five  o'clock,  and  the  new  doctors  did 
but  express  their  approval  of  her  Majesty's 
ordinary  medical  man's  treatment.  The 
patient,  completely  reassured,  sent  several 
letters  off  to  Vienna,  and  among  them  one  to 
her  son,  the  Comte  de  Montenuovo. 

During  the  evening  the  fever  increased 
slightly  and  the  breathing  became  more  pain- 
ful. This,  however,  did  not  cause  alarm,  and 
even  on  the  morning  of  December  13  the  mild- 
ness of  the  symptoms  justified  the  hope  that 
the  imperial  patient  would  recover.  The  chest 
trouble,  however,  did  not  diminish,  and  "the 
mustard  poultices  placed  on  several  parts  of 
the  body  had  no  effect.  It  was  then  thought 
advisable  to  apply  a  strong  blister  to  the  chest." 

On  that  day  three  letters  arrived  for  the 
Duchess  of  Parma  from  Vienna;  one  from  the 
Emperor,  her  brother,  and  the  others  from 

Baron  Amelin  and  the   Comtesse   de   Vallis. 

264 


of  Marie-Louise 

Bombelles  only  read  her  one — that  from  the 
Emperor,  which  merely  contained  his  good 
wishes  for  her  birthday.  Her  weakness  in- 
creased, and  at  ten  in  the  evening  she  was 
seized  by  a  violent  attack  of  fever  "accom- 
panied by  severe  pains  in  the  chest "  and  fits  of 
suffocation. 

She  had  another  sleepless  night.  A  second 
consultation  was  held,  which  put  an  end  to  any 
faint  hope  that  yet  lingered  with  regard  to  her 
recovery.  In  spite  of  repeated  doses  of  quinine 
the  fever  greatly  increased  towards  ten  o'clock 
in  the  morning  and  continued  to  do  so  till  four 
in  the  afternoon.  It  was  not  until  the  early 
hours  of  the  next  morning  that  a  slight  abate- 
ment of  the  febrile  symptoms  enabled  the 
Empress  to  get  a  little  sleep. 

The  danger  increased,  and  public  proces- 
sions were  organized  in  Parma  to  beseech  the 
Almighty  to  prolong  the  life  of  the  sovereign. 
In  spite  of  the  progress  of  her  illness,  Marie - 
Louise's  brain  remained  perfectly  clear.  She 

caused  letters  to  be  written  to  the  Archduke 

265 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

John,  and  to  her  sister,  the  Princesse  de 
Salerne — both  letters  full  of  expressions  of 
affection  and  giving  the  news  of  the  gravity  of 
her  condition. 

On  the  morning  of  the  i5th  the  fever  abated, 
but  the  weakness  and  exhaustion  were  extreme. 
In  the  afternoon  the  fever  returned,  and  the 
feeling  of  suffocation  was  intense. 

Marie-Louise  was  in  this  pitiable  state  when 
a  letter  arrived  from  Vienna  which  afforded  her 
great  delight — it  was  from  the  Comte  de  Monte- 
nuovo,  the  last  she  was  to  receive  from  him. 

Marie-Louise  was  as  ill  as  she  could  possibly 
be — she  could  no  longer  swallow.  On  the 
morning  of  the  i6th  the  patient,  suffering  from 
feelings  of  suffocation  and  painful  fits  of 
coughing,  could  only  give  utterance  to  a  few 
disjointed  words.  Arrangements  were  then 
made  for  the  administration  of  the  last  sacra- 
ment. She  received  it  calmly,  and  with  the 
conviction  that  her  end  was  near.  When  they 
were  about  to  administer  the  Extreme  Unction 

both  her  feet  were  covered.    She  was  told  that 

266 


of  Marie-Louise 

the  removal  of  one  stocking  would  be  sufficient, 
but  she  insisted  that  both  feet  should  be  bared, 
and  that  the  purifying  unction  of  the  holy  oils 
should  be  applied  to  them.  She  then  asked 
for  prayers  for  the  dying  and  litanies  for  a 
peaceful  death — and  she  herself  said  the  re- 
sponses to  the  verses  intoned  by  the  Bishop. 

Having  completed  her  devotions,  and 
strengthened  by  the  calm  imparted  by  religion 
to  the  dying,  Marie-Louise  requested  the 
Comte  de  Bombelles  to  give  her  the  will  she 
had  made  three  years  before.  After  it  had 
been  read  to  her,  she  acquainted  her  husband 
with  her  last  wishes,  and  then  expressed  her 
thanks  to  all  who  had  been  able  to  help  her, 
and  to  those  who  stood  by  her  bedside.  She 
begged  the  Comte  de  Bombelles  to  give  to  his 
daughter,  the  Comtesse  Marie  de  Bombelles, 
as  a  remembrance,  the  ivory  crucifix  which  hung 
from  the  curtains  of  her  bed  and  which  would 
receive  her  last  breath. 

She    also    expressed    the    wish    that    every 

member  of  her  household  should  be  given,  "  as 

267 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

a  souvenir,  some  trifle  that  she  had  continually 
used."  Bombelles  immediately  directed  M. 
Challiot  to  commit  to  paper  the  verbal  wishes 
of  Marie-Louise,  which  she  evinced  a  desire  to 
sign.  The  Comte  de  Bombelles  handed  her 
the  document,  but  she  was  now  so  weak  that 
she  sought  in  vain  to  attach  her  signature  to  it. 
She  could  scarcely  make  a  stroke,  although 
supported  by  the  Comtesse  de  Sanvitale,  who 
by  guiding  her  trembling  hand  endeavoured  to 
complete  the  signature. 

Marie-Louise  then  told  her  daughter  to  sum- 
mon her  grandchildren.  When  they  entered 
the  room  with  the  Comte  Sanvitale,  the  dying 
woman  said,  "  I  sent  for  you  that  I  might  give 
you  my  last  blessing."  Every  one  knelt  by  the 
bedside.  The  Empress,  being  too  weak  to 
move,  was  unable  to  place  her  hands  on  the 
heads  of  the  four  children  she  desired  to  bless. 
They  stood  up,  and  their  grandmother  ad- 
dressed them  as  follows  :  "  I  feel  very  ill,  my 
dear  children,  and  I  have  just  taken  the  Holy 

Communion.     I  wished  to  see  you  again  in 

268 


of  Marie-Louise 

order  to  embrace  and  bless  you.  If  the 
Almighty  has  decreed  that  I  should  die,  I  will 
pray  that  He  may  make  you  happy.  Think  of 
me  in  your  prayers,  respect  my  memory,  and 
prove  it  by  being  religious,  good,  obedient  to 
your  parents  and  doing  your  duty.  Always 
remember  what  I  say  to  you  now.  If  God 
grants  that  I  may  recover,  I  trust  that  the  bless- 
ing I  give  you  to-day,  while  recommending  you 
to  His  care,  may  not  be  in  vain,  and  that  He 
will  give  heed  to  the  prayers  of  a  dying  woman. 
I  bless  you,  my  dear  children,  respect  my 
memory  and  do  not  forget  your  grandmother." 
The  Comte  Sanvitale  then  kissed  the  hand 
of  his  mother-in-law.  "  Good-bye,  Louis," 
said  the  Empress,  "  I  want  you  also  to  remem- 
ber me.  I  hope  that  the  inhabitants  of  Parma 
will  not  forget  me,  for  I  have  loved  them 
dearly,  and  have  always  striven  for  their  good." 
She  then  clasped  the  hand  of  her  son-in-law  in 
an  eternal  farewell.  The  Comtesse  Sanvitale, 
having  mentioned  the  name  of  Guillaume, 

Marie-Louise  said,  "  If  I  do  not  see  him  again, 

269 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

tell  him  that  I  have  blessed  him  in  my  thoughts, 
and  that  I  shall  pray  for  his  happiness  from 
on  high." 

It  was  the  ninth  day  of  the  illness.  On 
December  17  the  Empress  was  on  the  point  of 
death.  Her  breath  was  short  and  stertorous, 
and  her  heart  beat  quickly  and  unevenly.  Not- 
withstanding all  these  symptoms  of  approach- 
ing death,  she  still  retained  her  mental  faculties 
— still  endeavoured  to  make  herself  under- 
stood by  words  and  signs,  and  in  the  morning 
was  able  to  take  a  little  jelly  and  broth.  She 
sent  for  the  Comtesse  Marie  de  Bombelles  and 
her  two  court  ladies,  but  she  could  only  give 
them  a  dying  hand,  which  they  covered  with 
kisses  and  tears. 

An  old  woman  with  wrinkled  face  among 
the  attendants  wept  bitterly.  She  was  a 
Frenchwoman,  Mme.  Miannee,  who  had 
been  for  thirty-five  years  in  the  Archduchess's 
service. 

She  approached  the  bed,  followed  by  an- 
other waiting-maid,  Mme.  Lauger,  and  with 

pious  respect  they  both  kissed  their  mistress's 

270 


of  Marie-Louise 

hand  and  then,  with  many  tears,  bade  her  a 
last  good-bye.  At  mid-day  the  Archduchess 
had  an  attack  of  sickness,  and  subsequently  fell 
into  a  state  of  coma,  from  which  she  never 
awoke.  Ten  minutes  later  she  passed  peace- 
fully away. 

Marie -Louise  had  expressed  a  wish  that 
there  should  be  no  post-mortem  examination. 

The  Empress  lay  in  state  on  a  bed  covered 
with  gold-fringed  velvet  in  the  salon  of  the 
ducal  palace,  which  had  been  converted  into  a 
mortuary  chapel.  She  was  dressed  in  black 
silk,  over  which  were  a  white  robe  and  a  magni- 
ficent red  mantle  embroidered  with  gold.  A 
white  veil  was  about  her  head,  and  she  wore 
white  shoes.  Round  her  neck  was  the  collar 
of  the  Order  of  Constantinien  de  St.  Georges. 
On  her  breast  were  all  her  decorations,  and  in 
her  clasped  hands  she  held  a  crucifix  and 
rosary.  She  lay  in  state  until  December  20, 
on  the  afternoon  of  which  day  she  was  placed 
in  her  coffin,  made  of  pine  wood  and  lined  with 

purple  velvet  and  in  which  was  a  horse-hair 

271 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

mattress  and  a  white  silk  pillow.  A  crucifix 
rested  on  her  breast,  and  a  rosary  in  her 
hands.  A  small  brass  receptacle  containing  a 
crystal  box,  in  which  was  a  parchment,  in- 
scribed with  the  name  and  titles  of  the 
sovereign,  was  placed  in  a  corner  of  the  coffin. 
This  wooden  coffin  was  then  closed,  and  placed 
in  one  of  lead,  which  again  was  put  into  a  third 
of  polished  chestnut. 

The  coffin,  covered  with  a  velvet  pall  bear- 
ing a  gold  cross,  was  then  moved  to  the  spot 
where  the  body  had  lain  in  state. 

The  funeral  took  place  on  December  24, 
the  service  being  held  in  the  Church  of  Saint- 
Louis.1  The  Archduke  Ferdinand  d'Este,  who 

1  A  placard  placed  on  the  door  of  the  church  and 
couched  in  the  following  terms,  invited  the  population 
to  the  funeral  service  : — 

MARINE  LUDOVIC/E 

IMP.  CCES.  FRANCISCI  I.  AUG.  FILI^E  AUG. 
ARCHIDUCI  AUSTR.  Duci  N. 

PARENTALIA 
AGITE  o  GIVES 

PRINCIPI 

QUJE  BENE  DE  UNIVERSIS  MERITA  EST 

BENE  INVICEM  ADPRECAMINI. 

272 


J 


of  Marie-Louise 

had  come  expressly  from  Modena,  the  entire 
court,  and  the  members  of  all  State  institutions 
were  present.  The  Bishop  of  Parma  pro- 
nounced the  absolution,  and  at  the  conclusion 
of  the  ceremony  the  coffin  was  conveyed  to 
Vienna  to  be  placed  in  the  crypt  of  the  Capu- 
chin Church,  where  it  now  rests,  separated  by 
but  six  monuments  from  the  bronze  bed  where 
sleeps  the  Due  de  Reichstadt. 


273 


XVIII 

THE  LAST  YEARS  AND  DEATH  OF  THE  COMTE 
DE  BOMBELLES 

A  FEW  days  after  the  death  of  Marie-Louise 
the  Comte  de  Bombelles  handed  the  reins  of 
government  to  the  new  sovereign,  Charles- 
Louis  de  Bourbon.1 

1  Charles-Louis  de  Bourbon,  due  de  Lucca,  son  of 
the  Infanta  Marie-Louise  of  Spain,  ex-Queen  of 
Etruria,  did  not  long  retain  the  possession  of  these 
Duchies.  Turned  out  of  his  States  in  1848  in  conse- 
quence of  an  insurrection,  he  abdicated  March  14,  1849, 
in  favour  of  his  son,  Charles  III,  who  was  married  to 
the  daughter  of  the  Due  de  Berry,  who  was  stabbed 
in  the  heart  with  a  dagger  by  a  modern  Louvel,  March 
26,  1854. 

Robert  I,  born  at  Florence  July  9,  1848,  eldest  son 
of  Charles  III,  was  then  proclaimed  Duke,  under  the 
regency  of  his  mother  Louise-Marie-Therese  de  Bour- 
bon, daughter  of  the  Due  de  Berry  and  sister  of  the 
Comte  de  Chambord.  He  reigned  until  the  Italian 
War,  1859.  The  young  Duke  then  left  his  States, 
which,  in  1860,  voted  in  favour  of  their  reunion  with 

274 


Marie-Louise 

Bombelles's  mission  was  at  an  end.  Two 
months  sufficed  for  him  to  wind  up  the  accounts 
relating  to  the  succession  of  Prince  Leopold, 
son  of  the  Archduke  Regnier,  nephew  as  well 
as  god-son  of  Marie-Louise,  whom  she  had 
made  her  residuary  legatee,  "  and  to  hand  over 
to  the  Prince's  representative  the  capital, 

the  kingdom  of  Italy,  of  which  they  are  now  a  pro- 
vince. The  Duke  of  Parma  married  firstly,  at  Rome  in 
1869,  Marie-Pie,  Princesse  de  Bourbon-Siciles,  whose 
sister,  the  Princesse  Louise,  his  brother  the  Comte  de 
Bardi  married.  It  is  a  curious  fact  that  the  two 
brothers  eventually  married  two  other  sisters,  the 
Princesses  Maria  Antonia  and  Aldegonde,  infantas  of 
Portugal. 

The  marriages  of  the  Duke  of  Parma  were  most  fruit- 
ful— by  his  first  wife  he  had  eight  children,  and  twelve 
by  the  second. 

Let  us  add  that  the  Duke  of  Parma,  nephew  of  the 
Comte  de  Chambord,  inherited  the  greater  part  of  his 
uncle's  fortune  and  the  castle  bearing  his  name;  that 
it  was  he  who  was  chief  mourner  at  the  Comte  de 
Chambord 's  funeral,  and  that  a  few  years  ago  he 
sanctioned  the  marriage  of  his  daughter  with  Prince 
Ferdinand,  grandson  of  Louis-Philippe. 

The  Duke  of  Parma,  who  kept  aloof  from  politics 
during  the  whole  of  his  life,  died  only  a  few  months 
ago. 

S2  275 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

securities,  jewellery  and  plate  of  which  her 
personalty  consisted." 

Marie-Louise's  will  is  too  long  to  quote  in 
its  entirety,  but  we  must  draw  attention  to  its 
principal  provisions. 

"  In  the  name  of  the  Holy  Trinity,  the 
Father,  Son  and  Holy  Ghost :  before  all  I 
yield  my  soul  to  the  Almighty,  and  I  beg  Him 
of  His  great  mercy  to  accept  it.  I  desire  the 
following  wishes  should  be  carried  out  at  my 
death — 

"  I. — I  desire  that  there  should  be  no  autopsy, 
but  that  my  body  should  be  injected  with 
arsenic,  according  to  the  new  method  now  in 
use  in  Italy. 

:'This  desire,  however,  is  subject  to  the 
wishes  of  my  principal  medical  man.  Should 
he  demand  an  autopsy  for  his  own  satisfaction, 
I  have  no  objection. 

"  IV. — I  bequeath  to  the  Comtesse  Albertine- 
Marie  de  Sanvitale — nee  Comtesse  de  Monte- 
nuovo — a  sum  of  300,000  florins  in  Vienna 

bonds  at  5  per  cent.,  representing  an  income 

276 


of  Marie-Louise 

of  30,000  florins.  The  above-mentioned  bonds 
are  deposited  in  the  private  court  chancery  in 
Vienna. 

''  V. — I  bequeath  to  the  Comte  Guillaume  de 
Montenuovo  a  sum  of  300,000  florins  in  Vienna 
bonds  at  5  per  cent.,  representing  an  income  of 
30,000  florins.  The  above-mentioned  bonds 
are  deposited  in  the  private  court  chancery  in 
Vienna. 

"XVII.— I  bequeath  to  the  Comte  Charles 
de  Bombelles,  whom  I  married  secretly  on 
February  17,  1834,  the  sum  of  300,000  Italian 
livres,  in  Milanese  bonds,  a  legacy  secured  by 
public  documents  in  my  possession."  (Marie- 
Louise  also  left  him  her  picture  by  Gerard, 
now  in  the  possession  of  the  Comtesse  Fran- 
c.oise  de  Bombelles  at  Presbourg,  all  her  books 
and  all  her  MSS.) 

"XXXIII.— I  add  to  my  will  a  list  of  the 
legacies  I  bequeath  to  different  persons. 

"XXXIV. — After  the  above  arrangements 
have  been  fulfilled,  I  bequeath  the  remainder 
of  my  real  estate  and  personalty  to  my  god- 
son, the  Archduke  Leopold,  eldest  son  of  my 

277 


The   Marriage  Ventures 

uncle  the  Archduke  Regnier,  and  of  my  aunt 
the  Archduchess  Elizabeth. 
"Parma,  May  22,  1844. 

"  (Signed)  MARIE-LOUISE. 

"  NEUMANN,  BOMBELLES. 

"P.S.  Ar.  A. 

"  RICHER. 

"  R.  GEN.  MAGGIORE. 
"G.  BERTOLINI. 

"  CHALLIOT." 

Beneath  the  signatures  is  a  red  and  white 
ribbon  (colours  of  the  House  of  Austria),  to 
which  are  attached  two  state  seals  in  black 
wax. 

The  will  fills  seven  large  pages  and  the 
codicils  are  contained  in  a  volume  of  several 
hundred  pages. 

We  quote  from  the  list  of  legacies  mentioned 
in  Clause  XXXIII  of  the  will  those  which 
relate  to  the  Comte  and  Comtesse  de  Monte- 
nuovo — 

"  53. — I  bequeath  to  the  Comtesse  Albertine- 
Marie  de  Sanvitale — nee  Comtesse  de  Monte- 

nuovo — my  set  of  turquoises  and   diamonds, 

278 


of  Marie-Louise 

which  consists  of  a  necklace,  earrings  and  a 
Sevigne. 

"  My  necklace  of  five  rows  of  pearls  with 
clasp  in  the  shape  of  a  diamond  knot  with  a 
green  stone  in  the  centre. 

"  My  pear-shaped  earrings  surmounted  by 
small  caps  of  brilliants  and  two  large  diamond 
'  chatons/ 

"  My  '  girandole  '  pearl  earrings.  A  gold 
bracelet  consisting  of  a  chain  and  two  chased 
medallions,  in  which  are  the  portraits  of  the 
Comtesse  de  Sanvitale  and  the  Comte  Guil- 
laume  de  Montenuovo  as  children. 

"  A  bracelet  consisting  of  one  large  and  eight 
small  gold  discs  enamelled  in  black,  with  por- 
trait, No.  85. 

"A  bracelet  of  dull  gold,  in  the  shape  of  a 
serpent,  crowned  with  six  small  turquoises, 
No.  116. 

"A  gold  and  black  enamel  bracelet  with 
small  flowers,  and  white,  blue  and  green  orna- 
ments, with  one  large  plaque  under  which  are 
four  small  paintings,  No.  139. 

"A  plain  gold  bracelet  to  which  a  small 
279 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

crucifix  is  attached,  and  in  which  is  some  of 
the  late  General's  hair. 

"A  small  locket  with  the  portrait  of  the 
Comte  Guillaume  de  Montenuovo  as  a 
child. 

"A  gold  locket  attached  to  the  chain  which 
I  always  wear  round  my  neck,  and  which 
contains  a  miniature  of  General  Neipperg's 
eye.1 

"A  large  gold  locket  which  opens  and  con- 
tains the  picture  of  a  winged  child  in  a  cloud. 

11  Three  gold  rings  called  '  Alliance '  rings, 
which  I  wear  on  my  right  hand.  To  one  of 
these  rings  is  attached  a  smaller  one. 

"  A  gold  ring  in  the  shape  of  a  rosary  with  a 
small  disc  on  which  is  a  crucifix  in  the  centre. 

"Another  gold  ring  with  a  cameo  represent- 
ing a  mask.  I  also  wear  these  rings  constantly 
on  my  right  hand. 

"  A  small  marble  bust  of  the  Comte  de  Neip- 
perg  in  my  drawing-room  at  Sala. 

1  It  was  the  custom  in  those  days  to  wear  as  a 
charm  small  paintings  of  the  eye  of  a  great  friend  or 
relation.  A  collection  of  such  charms  is  to  be  seen  in 
the  Conde  Museum  at  Chantilly. 

?8o 


of  Marie-Louise 

:c  The  mask  of  the  late  General  and  his  hand 
in  marble. 

"A  water-colour  drawing  of  the  room  in 
which  the  General  died. 

"A  water-colour  drawing  of  the  late 
General's  study. 

"A  little  oblong  mahogany  work-box — one 
corner  broken.  All  the  fittings  are  of  mother- 
of-pearl  and  steel.  I  have  used  this  box  con- 
tinually since  the  year  1810. 

"  My  paint-box  of  reddish  wood  with  white 
lines.  It  contains  all  the  requisites  for  water- 
colour  drawing.  I  have  had  it  constantly  by 
me  since  1815. 

"  54. — I  bequeath  to  the  Comte  Guillaume 
de  Montenuovo  two  rows  of  chdtons  and  the 
earrings  belonging  to  my  diamond  set. 

"  My  medal  cabinet,  containing  the  medals  of 
the  Emperor  Napoleon's  reign. 

"  The  gold  locket  which  I  wear  at  my 
neck  and  which  contains  the  hair  of  the  late 
General. 

"The  little  golden  crucifix  which  I  always 

wear  at  my  neck,  and  at  the  back  of  which  is 

281 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

inscribed :  '  Pencil  sketch  of  the  late  General 
after  death,  by  Professor  Callegari.' 

"A  small  Morocco  pocket-book  with  pencil, 
containing  a  miniature  of  the  late  Comte  de 
Neipperg. 

"  All  the  portraits  of  the  Comtesse  Albertine 
Sanvitale  in  my  possession,  whether  pencil 
sketches  or  paintings. 

"A  small  gold  locket  containing  the  por- 
trait of  the  Comtesse  de  Sanvitale  when  a 
child. 

:t  The  harpsichord  in  my  drawing-room  at 
Sala. 

"A  square  Russian  leather  writing-case, 
which  closes  by  means  of  strap  and  buckle. 

"A  Morocco  blotting-book  with  tooled 
design — with  engraved  steel  clasp.  I  have 
used  this  blotting-book  continually  for  many 
years. 

"  55. — I  bequeath  to  the  Comtesse  Albertine- 
Marie  Sanvitale  and  to  the  Comte  Guillaume 
de  Montenuovo  all  the  music  which,  at  my 
death,  will  be  found  in  the  drawing-rooms  at 

Parma  and  Sala  and  in  the  cupboards  of  the 

282 


of  Marie-Louise 

little  room  next  the  bath-room  at  Parma.    They 
will  divide  this  by  mutual  agreement." 

These  lengthy  extracts,  which  may  have 
seemed  tedious  to  some  of  our  readers,  are  not 
wholly  devoid  of  charm  and  interest.  In  the 
first  place,  they  specify  the  numerous  jewels 
possessed  by  the  former  sovereign  of  Parma, 
allude  directly  to  her  third  marriage  and  reveal 
the  undoubted  embarrassment  of  the  writer 
when  mentioning  her  second  husband.  The 
words  "  husband  "  and  "  father  "  are  carefully 
avoided. 

Marie-Louise  bequeathed  to  her  children 
some  of  "  the  General's  "  hair,  a  "  miniature  of 
the  eye  of  General  Neipperg,"  a  "  small  marble 
bust  of  the  late  Comte  de  Neipperg,"  "the 
mask  and  hand  of  the  late  General,"  water- 
colour  drawings  of  the  "room  in  which  the 
General  died,"  and  of  "  the  General's  "  study, 
more  of  the  "  deceased  General's  hair,"  a  "  por- 
trait of  the  General  after  death,"  and  another 
miniature  of  the  "late  Comte  de  Neipperg." 

Marie-Louise    evidently    recognized    the    fact 

283 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

that  the  births  of  her  children  had  never  been 
properly  legalized. 

We  must  now  return  to  the  third  husband. 

;The  Emperor  Ferdinand,  desirous  of  show- 
ing his  gratitude  to  Comte  Bombelles  for  the 
services  he  had  rendered  to  the  imperial 
family,  appointed  him  "  Grand  Maitre  "  to  the 
Empress. 

Political  events,  however,  prevented  the  ap- 
pointment being  carried  into  effect. 

The  revolution  of  February  had  set  Europe 
ablaze,  caused  thrones  to  totter  and  shaken 
old  and  effete  institutions  to  their  very  founda- 
tions. Vienna,  the  capital  of  absolutism,  was 
the  first  to  surfer  from  the  reaction  of  1848. 
The  Emperor  fled  to  the  Tyrol  and  abdicated 
in  favour  of  his  nephew. 

The  Comte  Henri  de  Bombelles,  tutor  to  the 
Prince  Imperial,  who  was,  of  course,  an  object 
of  hatred  to  the  revolutionary  party,  had 
followed  the  young  Archdukes  and  their 
parents  from  Vienna  to  Innsbruck.  The 

similarity  of  name  was  fatal  to  Comte  Charles, 

284 


of  Marie- Louise 

against  whom  all  the  fury  of  the  insurgents  was 
directed.  One  night,  we  are  told  by  M.  Chal- 
liot,  he  had  to  escape  from  his  house,  leave  the 
town  and  wander  about  the  neighbouring 
villages  with  his  daughter,  who  was  seriously 
ill  at  the  time.  He  was  then  arrested  and  kept 
in  solitary  confinement  until  his  persecutors 
discovered  their  mistake. 

When,  after  the  re-establishment  of  order, 
the  town  of  Prague  was  selected  as  the  place 
of  residence  of  the  ex-Emperor  Ferdinand,  the 
post  of  "  Grand  Maitre "  of  the  court  was 
offered  to  and  accepted  by  Charles  de  Bom- 
belles.  He  held  that  position  for  three  years, 
and  gave  evidence  in  the  performance  of  his 
duties  of  the  same  qualities  of  method,  economy 
and  energy  which  had  characterized  his  adminis- 
tration at  Parma. 

But  old  age  had  overtaken  him  and,  with  a 
sense  of  weariness  and  a  longing  for  repose,  he 
left  Prague  in  the  month  of  May  1855.  He 
had  but  one  more  year  to  live. 

Forgetting  the  romantic  adventures  of  his 

life,  and  desirous  of  ending  his  days  far  from 

285 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

the  madding  crowd,  he  took  up  his  abode  at 
Versailles,  the  place  of  his  birth.  His  wish  was 
to  end  his  worldly  career  there  in  silence  and 
repose,  before  entering  on  the  silence  and 
repose  of  death.  "  This  is  where  I  intend  to 
remain  in  seclusion,"  he  said,  "and  where  I 
shall  devote  myself  to  thoughts  of  the  next 
world.  One  must  prepare  for  death." 

He  took  a  quiet  apartment  at  7  Rue  de  la 
Biblioteque,  the  former  house  of  "  Made- 
moiselle "  in  the  reign  of  Louis  XIV,  which 
must  frequently  have  reminded  its  new  tenant 
of  those  orgies  of  lace  and  fine  clothes,  calcu- 
lated to  justify  the  action  of  the  populace,  who, 
in  the  following  century,  revolted  in  such  a 
terrible  manner. 

He  had  scarcely  established  himself  at  Ver- 
sailles when  the  Emperor  of  Austria  conferred 
upon  him  the  Grand  Collar  of  the  Order  of 
the  Iron  Crown,  and  the  Grand  Duke  of 
Tuscany  the  Grand  Cross  of  the  Order  of  St. 
Joseph,  as  tokens  of  their  appreciation  of  his 
services. 

Amidst  these  quiet  surroundings  the  Comte 
286 


of  Marie-Louise 

de  Bombelles,  who  had  fully  shared  the  re- 
sponsibilities of  power,  lived  the  most  peaceful 
of  lives  with  his  young  daughter,  to  whom 
he  was  devoted,  spending  his  time  in  good 
works  and  the  practice  of  Christian  virtues. 
"  He  found  relaxation  and  pleasure  in  corre- 
sponding with  old  friends,  some  of  whom  be- 
longed to  Parma,  for  which  place  he  retained 
a  sincere  affection,  and  which  was  continually 
benefiting  by  his  generosity,  for  he  spent  in 
charity  a  great  portion  of  the  pension  he 
received  from  the  Duchies  after  the  death  of 
Marie-Louise. 

Towards  the  end  of  the  autumn  of  1855  a 
marked  change  was  apparent  in  the  health  of 
the  Comte  de  Bombelles.  He  called  in  Dr. 
Penard,  a  Versailles  medical  man.  This 
physician  advised  a  consultation  with  a  pro- 
fessor of  the  faculty  of  Paris,  who  was  fain  to 
confirm  the  worst  fears  of  the  Versailles  doctor 
with  regard  to  the  grave  nature  of  the  Comte's 
condition.  "  The  patient  was  suffering  from  a 
slow  and  occult  ailment,  mental  depression  and 
the  gradual  deterioration  of  the  vital  powers." 

287 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

The  winter  was  a  sad  one,  nor  did  the  spring 
bring  any  improvement  to  the  patient's  health. 
The  Comte  Louis  de  Bombelles,  his  son,  being 
informed  in  Vienna  of  the  dangerous  condition 
in  which  his  father  was,  hurried  on  the  journey 
which  he  had  previously  intended  to  undertake 
with  his  young  wife,  and  reached  Versailles  at 
the  beginning  of  May.  On  the  i6th  the  Count 
took  to  his  bed. 

Two  days  after  he  was  visited  by  R.  P.  de 
Ponlevoy,  to  whom  he  had  caused  his  danger- 
ous state  to  be  communicated.  "  He  was  be- 
yond measure  pleased  to  see  him,"  wrote  his 
daughter,  "  and  at  once  confessed  to  him."  As 
the  priest  took  leave  of  him,  he  said,  with  deep 
feeling,  "Thank  you,  thank  you,  Father;  if  in 
the  course  of  my  life  it  has  been  my  good 
fortune  to  be  able  to  be  of  use  to  '  La  Com- 
pagnie '  [Jesuits]  you  have  now  amply  repaid 
me." 

On  the  following  day,  May  20,  he  took  the 
Holy  Communion  and,  at  his  request,  his 
daughter  read  prayers  and  portions  of  the 

Scriptures  to  him — thus  was  the  remainder  of 

288 


COUNT  CARLO  DI  BOM  BELLES. 


of  Marie-Louise 

the  day  spent.  At  5  a.m.  on  the  morning  of 
the  27th  he  received  with  resignation  and  piety 
the  last  sacrament,  which  was  administered  to 
him  in  the  presence  of  his  family  by  the  Abbe 
Brassier.  At  the  conclusion  of  the  service  the 
priest  begged  him  to  pronounce  a  blessing  on 
his  children. 

These  words  at  once  revived  the  dying  man 
who,  summoning  all  his  strength,  calmly  ex- 
claimed, "  Yes,  I  bless  you,  I  bless  you  with 
all  my  heart,  my  dear  children,  and  also  my 
grandchildren  who  are  not  here." 

Seeing  his  valet  in  tears,  he  bade  him  take 
courage  and  begged  him  to  remain  with  him 
during  that  night.  At  the  same  time,  perceiving 
that  the  man  looked  completely  exhausted,  he 
desired  him  to  call  in  some  one  to  assist  him, 
and  expressed  his  gratitude  to  the  servant  for 
his  long  and  faithful  services. 

Then,  turning  to  his  daughter,  he  said,  "  Do 
not  grieve,  we  shall  meet  in  heaven,  and  that 
is  everything."  Finally,  on  May  30,  towards 
evening,  feeling  that  his  strength  was  failing, 

he  looked  towards  heaven  and  his  lips  moved 
T  289 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

for  the  last  time,  uttering  the  words,  "  My  God 
— Thy  will  be  done."  Soon  afterwards  he 
closed  his  eyes,  and  at  half-past  eleven,  with 
the  calmness  of  a  philosopher  and  the  resigna- 
tion of  a  saint,  he  passed  away  without  delirium 
and  without  pain. 

The  funeral  service  was  held  at  Versailles 
in  the  Church  of  St.  Louis,  his  parish  church, 
but,  in  accordance  with  his  last  wishes,  his  re- 
mains were  conveyed  on  June  4,  1856  to  Grisy- 
sur-Seine,  Seine-et-Marne,1  and  placed  in  the 
little  country-side  church,  towards  the  building 
of  which  he  had  contributed  during  the  last 
years  of  his  life. 

He  had  expressed  the  wish  to  be  buried  in 
the  small  chapel  of  the  Holy  Virgin,  so  as  to 
rest  near  the  heart  of  his  children's  mother, 
which  he  had  caused  to  be  placed  there  a  few 
days  before  his  death.  There  is  no  inscription 
on  the  stone  which  lies  over  him  in  the  centre 
of  the  chapel — but  on  a  slab  of  black  marble, 

1  A  small  village  of  137  inhabitants,  8  kilometres 
from  Bray-sur-Seine,  where  the  Bombelles  family 
owned  a  large  farm  of  300  hectares,  called  1'Isle- 
Grisy. 

290 


of  Marie-Louise 

on  the  wall  at  the  right-hand  side  of  the  chapel, 
is  the  following  epitaph — 

MEMORISE 

EXCELLENTISS.  COMITIS  CAROLI  RENATI 
DE  BOMBELLES 

PLURIUM    ORDINUM    ET    CRUCE    MAJORI    INSIGNITI 

APUD    S.    M.    CCES.    REG.    APOSTOL. 
CUBICULARII    ET    A    SECRETORIBUS    CONSILIIS    PALATII 

MAGISTERIO    FUNCTI. 
APUD    DOM.    ARCHIDUCISS^E    MARINE    LUDOVIC^ 

DUCISS^E    PARMENSIS    MAJESTATEM 

IBIDEM    PER    15    ANNOS    SUMM^    RERUM    PREPOSITI, 
POSTEA    SUMMI    IN    AULA   MAJESTATIS    SU^E    IMPERATORIS 

FERDINANDI    I    MAGISTRI. 
QU^ECUMQUE    EGIT,    RELIGIONIS    AUGMENTO    FAVEBANT, 

JUSTITI^:,    PUBLICO    ORDINI,    BENIGNITATI. 

NATUS    DIE    6    MENS.    NOV.    1784    VERSALIIS, 

IBI    SPIRITUM    CCELO    REDDIDIT    DIE    30    MENS.    MAII    1856. 

PROUT   IPSE    VOLUIT   CORPUS    EJUS    GRISIUM    DELATUM, 

DIE   4    MENS.    JUNII    TERR.E    MANDATUM, 

DIE    VERO    30    MAII    1857    IN    SACELLO    HUJUS    ECCLESLS, 

AB    IPSO    EJUSQUE    LIBERIS    IN    HONOREM    SANCTISS. 

VIRGINIS    ^EDIFICATO, 

CONDITUM    EST; 

QUOD   UT   RELIGIOSE   EXTRUXIT   ITA   GENEROSE   PROTEXIT ; 
IN    CHRISTUM    ET    PAUPERES    PIUS. 

Once  a  month,  in  accordance  with  a  clause 
in  the  will,  and  in  consideration  of  a  sum  of 
money  bequeathed  to  the  church  by  the  states- 
man who  lies  in  that  unfrequented  spot,  the 
T  2  291 


Marie-Louise 

parish  curate,  after  the  sermon,  says  a  Pater  and 
an  Ave  for  the  repose  of  his  soul. 

Louis,  the  eldest  of  the  Comte  de  Bom- 
belles' s  children,  who  formerly  served  in  the 
Austrian  army,  was,  a  few  years  ago,  still  living, 
though  an  octogenarian. 

His  daughter,  the  Comtesse  Marie,  a  model 
of  goodness,  amiability  and  tenderness  of  heart, 
having  no  longer  a  father  to  live  for,  resolved 
to  exist  for  God  alone,  and  spent  the  remainder 
of  a  life  which  had  been  sorely  tried  in  the 
peace  and  seclusion  of  a  Vienna  convent. 


292 


XIX 

THE    COMTE    GUILLAUME    AND    THE 
COMTESSE    ALBERTINE    DE    MONTENUOVO 

IN  this  last  chapter  we  will  relate  what,  with 
all  their  changes  of  fortune,  became  of  the  two 
surviving  children  of  Marie-Louise  and  her 
second  husband.  The  eldest,  Albertine,  had 
four  children  by  her  marriage  with  the  Comte 
Louis  Sanvitale.  A  son,  Albert,  was  born  on 
August  28,  1834.  In  1836  a  daughter,  Marie, 
was  born,  and  a  son,  Stephane,  followed  in 
1838.  A  few  years  later  another  daughter, 
Louise,  came  into  the  world  to  complete  the 
family. 

Until  the  death  of  Marie-Louise  the  Comte 
and  Comtesse  Sanvitale  lived  harmoniously  to- 
gether at  the  court,  but  soon  death  invaded  that 
happy  home  and  both  Marie  and  Louise  were 
taken  almost  at  the  same  time  from  their  sorrow- 
ing parents. 

293 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

It  was  not  given  to  the  Comtesse  Sanvitale  to 
mourn  her  two  children  in  peace.  Misfortune 
in  another  shape  was  about  to  fall  upon  one  who 
had  already  been  so  cruelly  tried.  In  1848 
Italy  was  ablaze  under  the  influence  of  the 
liberal  ideas  which  had  come  from  France. 
Proud  of  their  past,  and  groaning  under  the 
yoke  of  Austria,  the  Italians  strove  for  inde- 
pendence and  unity  with  general  enthusiasm, 
supported  by  the  chivalrous  sword  of  Charles 
Albert  and  blessed  by  the  worthy  Pius  IX. 

Revolutionary  movements  broke  out  at 
Parma  as  they  did  throughout  the  peninsula, 
and  the  Comtesse  Sanvitale,  in  agreement  with 
the  ideas  of  her  husband,  resolutely  embraced 
the  cause  of  the  liberty  of  her  fatherland.  The 
Comte  was  even  called  upon,  by  a  vote  of  his 
fellow  citizens,  to  be  President  of  the  Pro- 
visional Government  of  the  Duchy. 

But  after  the  sad  events  of  Novara  and  the 
sanguinary  reaction  which  followed  them,  Louis 
Sanvitale  was  exiled  and  his  possessions  con- 
fiscated.1 


of  Marie-Louise 

Marie-Louise's  former  chamberlain,  who  had 
been  the  guest  of  kings,  went  to  live  at  Geneva 
away  from  his  wife  and  family,  in  a  state 
approaching  to  poverty. 

The  Comtesse,  who  moved  to  Fontanellato, 
devoted  herself  to  the  education  of  her  two 
sons  and  to  works  of  charity,  to  which  she  had 
always  been  accustomed  in  days  of  stress  as 
well  as  in  those  of  prosperity. 

In  1854  the  Comte  returned  from  exile. 
Although  vanquished,  Italy  continued  to  aspire 
to  unity  and  independence,  and  the  Italian 
question  was  tending  towards  its  only  possible 
solution,  that  of  the  sword. 

The  son  of  Charles-Albert,  whom  the  nation 
had  chosen  as  their  supreme  leader,  held  high 
the  three-colour  flag  which  had  braved  so  many 
battles. 

Young  men  from  all  directions  rallied  to  this 
symbol  of  unity,  and  the  eldest  of  the  Comtesse 

allowed  by  the  provisional  government  were  charged 
to  those  who  had  sanctioned  them,  and  the  fortune  of 
the  Comte  de  Sanvitale  was  sensibly  affected  by  this 
despotic  act  of  the  reigning  sovereign. 

295 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

de  Sanvitale's  two  sons,  brought  up  by  his 
parents  in  the  love  of  his  country  and  its 
glorious  past,  made  ready  to  take  part  in  the 
struggle  about  to  commence  in  the  cause  of 
independence,  without  the  knowledge  of  his 
mother. 

He  at  first "  opened  his  heart "  respecting  his 
intentions  to  his  father,  who  fully  approved  of 
them.  To  his  mother,  fearing  to  give  her  too 
rude  a  shock,  he  revealed  his  plans  with  the 
utmost  caution. 

It  was  a  terrible  moment  for  the  Comtesse 
de  Sanvitale,  who  at  once  thought  of  her 
brother,  the  Comte  de  Montenuovo,  now  serv- 
ing in  the  Austrian  army,  to  which  he  had,  of 
course,  taken  the  oath  of  allegiance. 

She  was  not  long  in  coming  to  a  decision. 

She  felt  that  Italy  was  her  country,  and 
every  other  sentiment  yielded  to  that  of  devo- 
tion to  her  fatherland.  After  a  few  moments 
of  mental  anguish,  she  said  to  her  son,  "  Go, 
do  your  duty,  and  my  blessing  goes  with 
you." 

Albert  at  once  left  to  join  his  comrades,  and 
296 


of  Marie-Louise 

a  year  later  returned  with  the  rank  of  captain 
of  artillery. 

When,  by  the  uprising  of  central  Italy, 
Victor  Emmanuel  became  sovereign  of  Tus- 
cany, Parma,  Modena,  Bologna  and  the  Lega- 
tions, Comte  Louis  Sanvitale  obtained  a  seat 
in  the  senate  of  his  country. 

The  Comtesse  Albertine,  surrounded  by 
chosen  friends,  and  adored  by  her  relations, 
especially  by  her  cousin,  Comte  Jacob  San- 
vitale, devoted  the  last  years  of  a  life  hitherto 
so  full  of  sorrow  to  doing  good  and  alleviating 
the  woes  of  the  suffering  at  Fontanellato,  the 
spot  she  had  chosen  for  her  dignified  retire- 
ment. 

She  died,  almost  suddenly,  from  a  attack  of 
pleurisy  on  December  26,  1867.  She  was 
buried  in  the  Church  of  St.  John  the  Evangel- 
ist, where,  on  a  monument  erected  by  her 
family,  is  a  fine  representation  in  marble  of  the 
Comtesse  with  an  aged  man  and  an  orphan 
beside  her,  to  perpetuate  the  memory  of  her 
charity  and  good  works. 

297 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

The  Comte  de  Montenuovo  was  spared  the 
trials  and  sorrows  which  had  been  the  lot  of  his 
sister  Albertine. 

His  military  career  was  one  continued  chain 
of  successes  and,  even  until  he  approached 
old  age,  the  only  burdens  he  had  to  bear  were 
those  of  honour  and  good  fortune. 

Brought  up  and  educated  under  the  indul- 
gent supervision  of  Marie-Louise,  he  became  a 
bright  impetuous  boy,  and  so  impatient  was  he 
of  restraint  that  there  was  a  question,  when  he 
was  thirteen  years  of  age,  of  his  being  sent  to 
school  with  a  view  to  overcoming  his  ungovern- 
able temper  and  checking  his  independent 
ideas.1 

His  delicate  state  of  health,  moreover,  was 
the  cause  of  considerable  anxiety  to  his  mother. 
He  was  thin  and  pale,  and  at  times  had  great 

1  "  I  have  not  yet  made  up  my  mind  about  Guil- 
laume,  whether  to  keep  him  with  me  or  send  him  to  a 
public  school,  which  would  be  the  best  thing  for  a  boy 
of  his  temperament,  but  the  disadvantages  of  the  latter 
course  rather  perturb  me,  although  I  feel  it  would  be 
for  his  good.  (Denn  er  hat  so  einen  Widerspruchs- 
geist,  dass  er  braucht  sich  abzustossen.)  Letter  from 
Marie-Louise  to  Mme.  de  Crenneville,  March  10,  1834. 

298 


of  Marie-Louise 

difficulty  in  breathing.1     As  he  grew  up,  how- 
ever, his  health  improved. 

In  February  1838,  at  the  age  of  seventeen, 
he  joined  the  5th  battalion  of  Chasseurs  in  the 
Austrian  army  as  lieutenant.  He  was  subse- 
quently promoted  to  the  rank  of  first  lieutenant 
in  the  Light  Horse  and,  in  the  following  year, 
became  captain  and  subsequently,  in  1843, 
major.  He  was  then  twenty-two  years  old. 
He  became  lieutenant-colonel  of  an  infantry 
regiment  in  1847  and  was,  a  year  later,  second 
in  command  of  the  4th  regiment  of  Cuirassiers, 
soon  afterwards  obtaining  the  command  of  the 
7th  regiment  of  Light  Horse. 

He  was  destined  in  his  military  career  to  be 
associated  in  some  way  or  other  with  all  the 
historical  incidents  of  the  time.  In  1848,  when 
twenty-seven  years  old,  he  took  part,  as  a 
colonel,  in  all  the  events  of  the  campaign  in 
Piedmont,  that  outpost  destined  by  politics, 

1  "Guillaume  is  drinking-  seltzer  water,  which  I  hope 
will  do  him  good.  He  grows  enormously,  but  is  very 
thin,  und  so  engbrusiig  [so  narrow-chested],  which 
makes  me  always  anxious  about  him.  ..."  Letter  to 
the  same,  July  5,  1835. 

299 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

nature  and  history  to  achieve  the  great  work  of 
the  deliverance  and  independence  of  Italy. 

We  will  not  follow  him  to  Ponteba, 
Pastrengo,  Osteria,  Santa-Lucia,  Curtatone, 
Vicenza,  Custozza,  Cremona  and  Turano,  which 
marked  the  successive  stages  of  this  war.  Suf- 
fice it  to  draw  attention,  at  this  period  of  his 
career,  to  his  conduct  during  the  attack  on  the 
fort  of  Brescello,  where  his  intrepid  courage 
and  strategical  skill  brought  about  the  capture 
of  this  important  place,  which  cost  the  enemy 
27  officers,  700  men  and  51  guns. 

The  scene  changes.  The  Hungarians,  thanks 
to  the  general  upheaval  of  1848,  deemed  them- 
selves in  a  position  at  last  to  obtain  their 
independence. 

Then  commenced  that  arduous,  obstinate 
struggle,  carried  on  with  alternate  successes  and 
reverses,  which,  in  all  probability,  would  have 
ended  in  disaster  to  the  Austrian  troops,  had  it 
not  been  for  the  intervention  of  Russia. 

At  the  very  commencement  of  hostilities,  the 
Comte  de  Montenuovo  was  summoned  to  the 

seat  of  war.    He  was  present  at  the  skirmish  at 

300 


of  Marie-Louise 

Nadas,  the  capture  of  Tyrnau,  the  battle  of 
Zamoly  and  shortly  afterwards  at  the  victory 
of  Kapolna,  where  the  charge  he  made  at  the 
head  of  only  three  squadrons  of  light  horse 
decided  the  fortunes  of  the  day.  For  this 
brilliant  achievement  he  was  accorded  the 
Knight's  Cross  of  the  Order  of  Leopold, 
and  was  given  the  command  of  a  brigade  of 
cavalry. 

On  February  28,  1849,  he  gave  further  proof 
of  his  wonderful  combination  of  courage,  skill 
and  daring. 

The  troops  at  Den,  having  been  surprised 
by  the  enemy,  were  being  completely  routed. 
The  Comte  de  Montenuovo,  who  was  scouring 
the  country  with  a  small  body  of  troops  not  far 
off,  heard  the  firing. 

Always  rapid  in  movement,  he  set  off  at  the 
trot  and,  by  drawing  the  efforts  of  the  Hungar- 
ians against  himself,  and  pushing  home  a 
vigorous  charge,  was  able  to  turn  the  tide  of 
battle  and  force  the  enemy  to  retreat. 

A  few  days  afterwards  he  suddenly  found 

himself  confronted  at  Hort  by  an  entire  corps 

301 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

of  the  Hungarian  army  much  superior  to  him- 
self in  numbers. 

Intoxicated  by  the  smell  of  powder,  the  roar 
of  cannon  and  the  din  of  battle,  he  addressed 
a  few  words  of  encouragement  to  the  men  and 
then,  at  the  head  of  three  squadrons,  hurled 
himself  against  twelve  squadrons  of  the  enemy, 
which  he  overthrew  and  put  to  flight. 

For  this  exploit  the  Comte  de  Montenuovo, 
who  had  on  so  many  occasions  handsomely 
paid  the  debt  he  owed  to  his  country  and  who 
had  won  his  promotion  at  the  point  of  the 
sword,  received  the  highest  military  reward — 
the  Knight's  Cross  of  the  Order  of  Marie 
Therese. 

When  the  disastrous  capitulation  of  Vilagos, 
which  delivered  the  troops  of  Gcergey  into  the 
hands  of  the  Russians,  was  signed,  the  Comte 
de  Montenuovo  was  detailed  to  escort  the 
Hungarian  army  to  the  gates  of  Arard. 

In  1854  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of 
"  Lieutenant-Field-Marshal." 

His  military  career,  however,  was  not  yet  at 

an  end,  and  he  took  part  in  fresh  encounters 

302 


of  Marie-Louise 

ending  in  misfortunes  and  defeats,  for  which 
he  was  in  no  way  responsible. 

Then  followed  the  year  1859. 

The  work  interrupted  by  the  disasters  of 
Novara  was  resumed  under  the  disinterested 
auspices  of  the  spirit  of  France  and  her  troops. 

Montenuovo  participated  in  nearly  all  the 
events  of  the  Italian  campaign,  Magenta,  Cas- 
tenedole  and  Solferino,  where  the  generals  of 
the  two  armies  rivalled  each  other  in  heroism, 
and  where  the  valour  of  the  Austrians  equalled 
that  of  the  troops  which  vanquished  them. 

The  Comte  de  Montenuovo  was  granted  the 
Iron  Crown  of  the  second  class  for  his  services 
in  this  campaign.  On  his  return  to  Vienna  he 
was  transferred  to  the  second  army  corps,  as 
general  of  division.  At  the  same  time  he  was 
appointed  Privy  Councillor  to  the  Emperor, 
and  shortly  afterwards  was  given  the  command 
of  the  troops  in  Transylvania,  which  appoint- 
ment he  held  until  1866,  when  he  was  given  the 
general  command  in  Bohemia,  and  while  in  that 
position  he  was  honoured  with  the  Golden 
Fleece.  In  the  midst  of  his  campaigning  he 
303 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

had,  at  the  age  of  thirty,  married  a  Hungarian 
Comtesse  of  good  and  ancient  family,  whose 
outward  charms  were  equalled,  if  not  surpassed, 
by  the  exquisite  qualities  of  her  mind  and 
heart.  Her  name  was  Julienne-Jeanne-Marie- 
Stephanie.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Jean- 
Baptiste  de  Batthyani-Strattmann. 

A  daughter,  Albertine-Leopoldine-Wilhel- 
mine-Julie-Marie,  the  result  of  this  marriage, 
was  born  on  June  30,  1853.  In  the  following 
year,  on  September  16,  a  son,  Alfred-Adam- 
Guillaume-Ysan-Marie,  was  born. 

Five  years  later,  on  September  10,  1859, 
there  came  another  daughter,  Marie-Sophie- 
Wilhelmine-Hyacinthe  who,  on  May  23,  1878, 
married  the  Comte  Antoine  Apponyi. 

On  July  20,  1864,  by  an  imperial  decree  the 
Count  of  Montenuovo  was  created  an  Austrian 
Prince,  with  the  title  of  Most  Serene  Highness, 
and  the  right  of  quartering  in  his  coat-of-arms 
those  of  his  mother,  the  Duchess  of  Parma  and 
those  of  the  Comte  de  Neipperg.  In  1870  he 
became  captain  of  the  imperial  bodyguard 
and  General  of  Cavalry.  Eventually  on  Sep- 

304 


of  Marie-Louise 

tember  i,  1878,  he  left  the  army,  and  it  cannot 
be  denied  that  he  well  deserved  a  rest  after  so 
many  long  years  of  service. 

He  soon  became  a  popular  figure  in  Vienna. 
He  was  tall  and  slight,  had  charming  manners 
and  was  courteous  and  affable  to  all.  He  could 
daily  be  seen  with  curled  up  moustache  and  a 
stick  in  his  hand  enjoying,  without  a  vestige  of 
haughtiness,  the  advantages  of  his  semi-incog- 
nito, as  he  strolled  about  the  boulevards,  living 
the  life  of  an  ordinary  individual  and  associat- 
ing with  the  people.1 

This  very  agreeable  man  was  not  only  highly 
educated,  but  was  also  an  excellent  musician. 
He  played  the  piano  well  and  composed  many 
popular  valses  and  songs. 

1  An  incident  perhaps  worth  recalling,  and  asso- 
ciated with  his  name,  suddenly  became  a  topic  of  con- 
versation in  Vienna.  While  his  luxurious  Strauchgass 
house  was  in  course  of  construction — it  now  belongs 
to  the  "Anglo  Bank,"  it  was  rumoured  that  the  con- 
tractor, Engel  by  name,  had  been  using  rubble,  etc., 
instead  of  stone.  A  sensational  trial  followed,  during 
which  truth  of  these  allegations  was  proved,  with  the 
result  that  the  unscrupulous  contractor  was  sent  to 
prison  for  five  years. 

u  305 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

With  all  these  honours  heaped  upon  him  one 
would  have  thought  that  the  son  of  the  former 
sovereign  of  Parma  had  but  to  live  and  be 
happy.  But  fate,  which  seemed  to  pursue  the 
offspring  of  Marie-Louise,  decreed  otherwise. 

For  some  time  the  Prince's  mind  had  been 
gradually  failing.  A  nervous  derangement  had 
attacked  and  ruined  his  conspicuous  mental 
powers,  and  the  old  General  commenced  to 
show  evident  signs  of  incipient  madness,  which 
on  May  24,  1880,  necessitated  his  being  placed 
in  an  asylum  at  Dobling,  near  Vienna.  He 
was  destined  never  to  leave  that  establishment. 
The  malady  made  rapid  progress,  and  the 
patient  was  soon  confined  to  his  room.  Now 
and  then,  with  a  vacant  stare  and  idiotic  expres- 
sion, seemingly  unable  to  see  or  understand,  he 
would  receive  visits  from  some  of  his  relations 
and  friends.  Deprived  of  all  his  mental 
faculties,  and  now  stone  deaf,  the  poor  de- 
mented creature  would  spend  a  portion  of  his 
time  at  the  piano.  It  was  truly  piteous  to  see 
this  old  gentleman,  who  had  been  commander- 

in-chief  on  great  occasions  of  contemporary 

306 


of  Marie-Louise 

history,  sit  down  before  the  instrument  and  play 
compositions  of  his  poor  disordered  brain  for 
hours  at  a  time.  About  the  middle  of  March 
1895  tne  Prince  had  an  attack  of  influenza,  and 
took  to  his  bed — from  which  he  never  rose. 
Pneumonia — one  of  the  most  frequent  and 
serious  results  of  this  malady — supervened,  as 
is  often  the  case  with  old  people.  On  April  6, 
1895,  he  died  amid  the  sad  surroundings  of  the 
Dobling  asylum,  not  far  from  the  palace  of 
Schcenbriinn,  where  the  death  of  that  most 
affectionate  of  children — the  Due  de  Reichstadt 
— had  taken  place,  brought  about,  perhaps, 
more  by  political  events  than  by  the  malady 
from  which  he  suffered. 

His  son,  Prince  Alfred  de  Montenuovo,  had 
married  the  Comtesse  Franchise  Kinsky,  a 
lady  of  the  palace,  and  a  "dame  de  la  Croix 
Etoilee." 

He  was  a  Chamberlain  and  Privy  Councillor, 
a  member  of  the  Austrian  Parliament,  Knight 
of  the  Austrian  Order  of  the  Golden  Fleece, 
Honorary  Knight  of  the  Order  of  Malta,  and 
became  Master  of  the  Ceremonies  to  the  Em- 
ua  3°7 


Marie-Louise 

peror  Francis  Joseph  when  Prince  Lichtenstein 
resigned  that  appointment. 

There  were  four  children  of  the  marriage, 
the  eldest  of  whom,  Julie,  married  on  May  23, 
1903,  the  Comte  Dyonis  Draskovich  de  Trako- 
styan,  Chamberlain  to  the  Emperor  of  Austria. 


308 


CONCLUSION 

THE  political  as  well  as  the  private  life  of 
Marie-Louise  has  deserved  just  though  severe 
criticism  at  the  hands  of  historians. 

We  have,  indeed,  seen  how  the  Archduchess, 
who  married  the  illustrious  Emperor,  weak,  un- 
stable, indifferent  alike  to  duty  and  decency, 
gradually  but  quickly  developed  into  a  neglect- 
ful mother  and  forgetful,  unfaithful  wife. 
In  order  to  be  just  let  us,  like  other  his- 
torians, draw  attention  to  all  the  extenuating 
circumstances  which  can  He  cited  in  her  favour, 
such  as  the  prejudices  of  her  childhood  and 
youth  against  the  man  whom  neither  her  family 
nor  her  country  could  ever  forgive  for  the  de- 
feats he  inflicted  on  their  armies  at  Marengo 
and  Wagram. 

Nor  must  we  forget  that  the  wiles  of  Austrian 

diplomacy  forced  her  to  associate  with  an  un- 
309 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

scrupulous  libertine,  with  the  express  object  of 
distracting  her  mind  from  her  most  sacred 
duties. 

We  must  also  remember  the  conduct  of  her 
father  who,  in  order  to  remain  faithful  to  his 
allies,  countenanced  this  intrigue  in  which 
everything  was  done  to  stifle  the  feelings  of  a 
wife  by  means  of  the  inherent  weakness  of  a 
woman. 

Verily  others  were  more  to  blame  than  was 
Marie-Louise. 

Nevertheless,  if  she  did  not  care  for  the 
Emperor,  respect  and  common  decency  should 
have  prompted  her  to  wait  until  death  should 
have  severed  the  ties  which  bound  her  to  him 
before  marrying  another. 

This  is  not  the  worst  indictment  to  which 
Marie-Louise  exposed  herself,  for  we  have 
seen  how  quickly,  while  basking  in  the  sunshine 
of  her  lover's  presence,  she  not  only  forgot  her 
husband,  but  also  her  son,  whom  she  permitted 
to  be  deprived  of  his  name  and  maternal  inherit- 
ance without  offering  the  slightest  resistance  to 

such  iniquitous  proceedings. 

310 


of  Marie-Louise 

It  may  well  be  asked  whether  Marie-Louise 
had  any  heart  at  all. 

When  Neipperg  died  there  was  a  moment 
when  one  might  have  thought  that  her  happi- 
ness had  departed  for  ever,  and  that  her  spirits, 
pleasures,  in  fact,  her  whole  life  would  be 
buried  in  the  tomb  of  this  "  adored  husband." 

Her  son  had  died  almost  at  the  same  time. 

We  have  also  seen  how  this  flighty,  frivolous 
woman,  forgetful  of  these  two  terrible  losses, 
was  led  by  her  sensual  nature  and  unbounded 
selfishness  to  marry  a  third  time. 

Flightiness  and  frivolity  were  indeed  the 
governing  characteristics  of  her  whole  life. 

Indolent  by  nature,  unmoved  by  the  loss  of 
her  throne,  caring  for  nought  but  dissipation, 
hating  business,  loving  the  bustle  and  pleasures 
of  life,  as  inquisitive  as  a  child,  and  as  variable 
as  a  vane,  Marie-Louise  thought  of  nothing 
but  her  personal  desires  and  inclinations. 

As  Empress  she  showed  her  dislike  to  affairs 
of  state ;  as  Regent  she  displayed  the  same  in- 
difference, without  for  a  moment  realizing  the 
dignity  of  her  position;  at  Parma,  where  she 


The  Marriage  Ventures 

was  mistress  of  all  her  surroundings,  oblivious 
of  the  past,  she  kept  studiously  aloof  from  all 
Government  business  and  wiled  away  her  hours 
of  boredom  by  visiting  theatres  and  occupying 
herself  with  music,  painting  and  the  like,  leav- 
ing her  husbands  to  devote  themselves,  which 
it  is  only  just  to  say  they  conscientiously  did,  to 
the  highest  interests  of  her  States. 

Marie-Louise  was  neither  sovereign,  wife  nor 
mother. 

That  is  why  M.  Imbert  de  Saint- Amand 
wrote  of  her  :  "  She  will  occupy  but  a  miserable 
place  in  history.  .  .  .  France  reproached  her 
for  abandoning  Napoleon  and,  perhaps  still 
more,  for  having  chosen  two  such  obscure  in- 
dividuals as  successors  to  the  most  illustrious 
man  of  modern  times."  For  our  part  we  think 
that  the  insult  offered  by  the  ex-Empress  to  the 
Emperor's  memory  by  these  two  marriages  is 
less  reprehensible  than  her  abandonment  of  her 
unfortunate  husband  and  her  indifference  in 
regard  to  France  in  1814  and  1815. 

The  life  of  Marie-Louise  ends  so  conveni- 
ently at  the  latter  date  as  far  as  concerns  the 

312 


of  Marie-Louise 

country  which  showed  her  so  much  affection, 
that  historians  have  hitherto  not  thought  it  worth 
while  to  follow  the  ex-Empress  of  a  colossal 
Empire  into  her  little  corner  in  Italy. 

In  truth,  in  the  eyes  of  posterity,  which  soars 
above  human  weakness  and  vulgar  passions, 
this  woman,  devoid  of  every  virtue  and  un- 
worthy of  her  destiny,  had  but  one  husband,  the 
man  for  whom  she  had  no  affection,  the  man 
who  had  placed  her  beside  him  on  the  proudest 
throne  in  the  universe,  whose  colossal  person- 
ality is  still  manifest  in  the  politics  of  our  days, 
and  to  whom  alone  is  due  the  fact  that  her 
name  is  recorded  in  history. 


313 


INDEX 


ALEXANDER  I,  Czar,  69 
Antommarchi,  Dr.,  139-142 

Bausset,  Baron  de,  17,  32,  42, 

44,46-7,  5i,  54,  67,  113 
Berry,  Due  de,  36,  274 
Berry,  Mme.  de,  177,  183 
Bombelles,  Marquis  de,  Bishop 

of  Amiens,  212-15 
Bombelles,  Comte  Charles  de, 
third    husband    of    Marie- 
Louise,  birth  and  ancestry, 
215  ;     character  and   early 
career,      216-26  ;       Grand 
Master    of    the    Court    of 
Parma,  227  seq.  ;  marriage 
with    Marie- Louise,  233-5  ; 
subdues   the   revolution    in 
Parma,  256-8  ;    end   of  his 
mission,  274-8  ;  at  Austrian 
court,  and  death,  284-92 
Bonaparte,  Louis,  1 10 
Borghese,  Princess,  1 10 
Brignole,  Mme.de,  17,  32,  51, 
°7,  73-4,  76-7 

Caffarelli,  17 

Caroline,  Princess  of  Wales, 

meeting  with  Marie-Louise 

at  Berne,  45-50;  138 
Castlereagh,  Lord,  54,  69 
Cavaignac,  Mme.,  29 
Charles- Louis     de     Bourbon, 

69,  120,  274 
Chateaubriand,  reminiscences 

of  Marie-Louise,  143-4 


Cornacchia,  Baron,  194 

Corvisart,  Dr.,  17,  1 8 

Crenneville,  M.  de  (Mile,  de 
Pontet),  7-8, 11-12,  168, 177, 
192,  198-201,  203,  210, 
228,  298 

Falloux,  M.  de,  235-9 
Ferdinand    III,  Grand  Duke 

of  Tuscany,  61,  62,  68,  in 
Fontainebleau,  Treaty  of,  68 
Fontenoy,  M.  de,  113,  115 
Francis  I,  Emperor  of  Austria, 
father      of     Marie-Louise, 
7,  13,  18,  37,  57-8,  79  note, 

96,    120,   121,  122,    136,  156- 

7,  167,  200 

Geppert,  General,  193 
Gizzi,  Cardinal,  256 
Gregory  XVI,  256 

Haussonville,  Comte  d',  15 
Hereau,  Dr.,  medical   attend- 
ant to  Marie-Louise,  19,  67 

Isabey,  35, 63 

John,  Archduke  of  Austria, 
uncle  of  Marie- Louise,  72 

Lamartine,  M.  de,  158-61 
Lecomte,  Jules- Francois,  birth 

and  career,  242-5  ;  relations 

with  Marie-Louise,  246-8  ; 

subsequent      career,      and 

death,  249-52 


315 


Index 


Leopold,    Archduke,    nephew 
of  Marie- Louise,  275,  277-8 
Ligne,  Prince  de,  53 
Louis  XVIII,  151,  222 

Marie-Louise,  childhood  and 
youth,  7-9  ;  marriage  with 
Napoleon,  7,  10-13  ;  visits 
Aix  and  meets  Comte  de 
Neipperg,  18-37  ;  tour  in 
Switzerland  with  Neipperg, 
41-52  ;  at  Congress  of 
Vienna,  53-77  ;  at  Schcen- 
briinn  and  Baden,  1815,  85- 
97  ;  entry  into  Parma,  101 
seq.  ;  morganatic  marriage 
with  Neipperg,  126-8  ;  birth 
of  son,  William  Albert,  136- 
7  ;  the  will  of  Napoleon, 
1 4  5~5  3  5  travel  and  life  at 
Parma,  154-61  ;  death  of 
Neipperg,  162-71  ;  third 
marriage,  with  Comte 
Charles  de  Bombelles,  233- 
4 ;  relations  with  Jules- 
Frangois  Lecomte,  245-8  ; 
last  days  and  death,  253-73  ; 
her  will,  276-83  ;  character 
and  conclusion,  309-13 

Mars,  Mile.,  236-7 

Marshall,  Baron  de,  195-6, 
208,  212 

Meneval,9,  17, 19,  32-3, 36,  42, 
44,  46-7,  51,  85,  88,90-2 

Metternich,  Prince,  27,  29,  37, 
54,  69,  71,  109,  no,  135, 
142,  226-7 

Mistrali,  Baron  Vincent,  194- 

Modena,  Duke  of,  194 
Montebello,  Duchesse  de,  32 
Montenuovo,       Comte        de 
(William     Albert,     son    of 
Marie- Louise),    136-7,   269, 
277,  280-2,  296,  298-308 


Montesquiou,    Mme.  de,    73, 

76,85 
Montet,    Baronne   du,    93-5, 

137  seq,  216  seq. 
Murat,  26,  27,  78,  80-3,  87 

Napoleon,  first  husband  of 
Marie-Louise  :  their  mar- 
riage, 7,  10-13  ;  his  abdica- 
tion, 14-15,  26-8,  34,  36;  at 
Elba,  37-40,  60-62  ;  return 
from  Elba,  70  seq. ;  exile, 
94-6 ;  last  days  at  St.  Helena 
and  death,  129-42,  145-50; 
his  will,  150-3 

Neipperg,  Adam-Albert, 

Comte  de,  second  husband 
of  Marie-Louise  :  birth  and 
ancestry,  21-4  ;  his  early 
career,  24-28  ;  tour  in  Swit- 
zerland with  Marie-Louise, 
41-52  ;  at  Congress  of 
Vienna,  60-77  j  at  Parma 
with  Marie-Louise,  101  seq. ; 
morganatic  marriage  with 
Marie- Louise,  126-8  ;  illness 
and  death,  162-73;  character 
and  achievements,  173-6; 
references  in  will  of  Marie- 
Louise,  280,  282-4 

Neipperg,  Madame,  30,  89-90 

Oppizoni,  Cardinal,  193 

Parma,  history  of  the  Duchy, 

98-101,  274-5 
Petrarch,  111-12 
Pius  IX,  256,  294 
Pontet,  Mile,  de,  see  Crenne- 

ville,  Comtesse  de. 

Rabusson,Mlle.,  19 

Reichstadt,  Duke  of  (King  of 
Rome),  son  of  Marie- Louise 
and  Napoleon,  13,  64-5,  69, 


Index 


75,90-1,    113,  120,  121,    122, 

123,  152-3,  171-2,  1 86,  193, 

2O2-IO,  273 

Rossi,  Chevalier,  139,  141 

Saint-Amand,  Imbert  de,  85-7 
Sainte-Aulaire,  Comte  de,  15 
Sanvitale,    Comte     Stephane, 

232-3,  268-9,  293-97 
Sanvitale,   Comtesse    de   (Al- 
bertine,  daughter  of  Marie- 
Louise),   232,  268,  276,  282, 
293-7 


Stael,  Madame  de,  26 

Talleyrand,  37,  68,  177 
Talma,  34,  236-7 

Verona,  Congress  of,  142-4 
Victor  Emmanuel,  297 
Vienna,  Congress  of,  53  sey., 

98,  120 
Vitrolles,  Baron  de,  177-80 

Werklein,  M.  de,  139,  188-91 
Werner,  Abbe".  65-7,  88-9 


317 


RICHARD  CLAY  &  SONS,  LIMITED, 

BREAD  STREET  HILL,  E.C.,  AND 

BUNGAY,  SUFFOLK. 


000071  316    4 


